as in harmless
not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt
those innocuous lies we must tell every day if society is to remain civil
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Recent Examples of innocuous
The seemingly innocuous post eulogizing Eden, 52, who was found dead while filming the latest season of the hit Apple TV+ series in Athens, quickly drew a volley of backlash on social media.
—
Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
These rules were enforced with various levels of stringency throughout the week, but several journalists complained of having to argue with security staff in order to bring in innocuous items such as laptops and cosmetics.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026
But Lue may have already been in a mood because of the viral response to Leonard’s fairly innocuous comments Thursday night.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2026
But local governments and residents across the state worry that the bill could stop innocuous government activities, including food, music and other cultural festivals.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for innocuous
Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
These rules were enforced with various levels of stringency throughout the week, but several journalists complained of having to argue with security staff in order to bring in innocuous items such as laptops and cosmetics.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026
But Lue may have already been in a mood because of the viral response to Leonard’s fairly innocuous comments Thursday night.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2026
But local governments and residents across the state worry that the bill could stop innocuous government activities, including food, music and other cultural festivals.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for innocuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocuous
Adjective
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Hence, any error arising from the admission of the cellphone evidence is harmless.—
Eric Mack,
FOXNews.com,
12 Mar. 2026
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The cysts are harmless but greatly affect the guard’s range of motion, including the flexing and snapping motions necessary to take a jump shot.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Frankly, Pearson’s word choice is benign compared to what most people would say about a 1-27 season.—
Eden Laase,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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Horschel has ground to make up after Daniel Berger posted a 63 during unusually benign conditions at Bay Hill.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Carmen Mejia, who was declared innocent after spending more than 20 years behind bars for a wrongful conviction in a child's death in Texas, faces deportation to her native Honduras because her immigration status lapsed while she was incarcerated, her attorneys said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
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Countless innocent lives lost, and for what?—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Innocuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocuous. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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