as in using
to put into action or service
huge dams harness the power of water to produce electricity
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Recent Examples of harnessing
In the age of mainstream AI, designers are faced with the choice of harnessing the technology for their work or intentionally flouting it in favor of untouched human creativity.
—
Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026
By harnessing data and building effective human/AI partnerships, resilient organizations position themselves to thrive despite continuous disruption.
—John M. Bremen, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Moving forward, TuneCore will prioritize harnessing more fully the capabilities of Believe, to help artists grow globally.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 14 Jan. 2026
Now, new research has shed light on their origin story – and opened the door to innovative ways of harnessing these compounds for human medicine.
—New Atlas, 10 Jan. 2026
The program was originally designed to save taxpayers money while offering seniors additional options by harnessing the power of competition and forcing insurers to compete for seniors’ business.
—Robert Romano, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
One point that needed to be solidified was building suitable means of production, particularly harnessing the know-how of Chanel’s watchmaking facilities in the Swiss city of La-Chaux-de-Fond, where the overwhelming majority of the line is made.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 4 Jan. 2026
China’s leadership wants every civil servant, lab scientist, factory manager, corporate executive, and army general to be harnessing AI asap.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
Only those humans who have mastered this alien species’ language can mind-meld with them to learn their secrets to harnessing space travel.
—Literary Hub, 2 Jan. 2026
Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026
By harnessing data and building effective human/AI partnerships, resilient organizations position themselves to thrive despite continuous disruption.
—John M. Bremen, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Moving forward, TuneCore will prioritize harnessing more fully the capabilities of Believe, to help artists grow globally.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 14 Jan. 2026
Now, new research has shed light on their origin story – and opened the door to innovative ways of harnessing these compounds for human medicine.
—New Atlas, 10 Jan. 2026
The program was originally designed to save taxpayers money while offering seniors additional options by harnessing the power of competition and forcing insurers to compete for seniors’ business.
—Robert Romano, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
One point that needed to be solidified was building suitable means of production, particularly harnessing the know-how of Chanel’s watchmaking facilities in the Swiss city of La-Chaux-de-Fond, where the overwhelming majority of the line is made.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 4 Jan. 2026
China’s leadership wants every civil servant, lab scientist, factory manager, corporate executive, and army general to be harnessing AI asap.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
Only those humans who have mastered this alien species’ language can mind-meld with them to learn their secrets to harnessing space travel.
—Literary Hub, 2 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harnessing
Verb
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Millions upon millions of people are using generative AI as their ongoing advisor on mental health considerations (note that ChatGPT alone has over 800 million weekly active users, a notable proportion of which dip into mental health aspects, see my analysis at the link here).—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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The Skippers kept fighting, using a 7-0 run to take a 57-55 lead with two minutes to go.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Other practices, such as wearing lightweight clothing, utilizing shade breaks, and limiting strenuous activity during peak afternoon heat, further reduce risk.—
Ethan Stone,
Ascend Agency,
25 Jan. 2026
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The Department of Public Works will be utilizing over 800 pieces of equipment to clear the roadways while also working with private contractors.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Amidst the ongoing privacy issues surrounding door cameras and the backlash over social media giants exploiting user data to train their own models, today’s robots invite both passive and active observers into our homes and leave our data exposed to bad actors.—
Jason Corso,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
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For years, the debate around this issue has been quietly deadlocked between the forces for common sense reform to dramatically lower the cost of construction, and personal injury lawyers who reap increasingly large windfalls by exploiting this law.—
Elizabeth Crowley,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For these reasons, applying chemical ice melts and mechanically removing ice are better solutions.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
23 Jan. 2026
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For decades, assessors across California have exercised reasonable and uniform judgment in applying it, guided by State Board of Equalization (BOE) advice, local building standards, and the factual circumstances of each rebuild.—
Jeffrey Prang,
Daily News,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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DigitalDefynd shared detailed observations on how the banking industry is employing AI.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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The holding company operates more than 400 locations across nine states, employing more than 8,000 workers.—
Amy Wenk,
AJC.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harnessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harnessing. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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