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 man has a mind uniquely skilled at revealing the threats lurking behind seemingly innocuous environments — in this case, a Pennsylvania town called Maybrook, where the mass disappearance turns mild-mannered parents into an angry mob.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
Though small and seemingly innocuous, carpet beetles will eat away at your carpets, rugs, and upholstery.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 30 July 2025
This well-meaning but innocuous piece of advice demonstrates that his family did not really understand poetry at all beyond these rudimentary parameters.
—Gregory Jusdanis, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
This was true even for innocuous, nonpolitical questions.
—Guthrie Scrimgeour, Wired News, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for innocuous
Peter Debruge, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
Though small and seemingly innocuous, carpet beetles will eat away at your carpets, rugs, and upholstery.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 30 July 2025
This well-meaning but innocuous piece of advice demonstrates that his family did not really understand poetry at all beyond these rudimentary parameters.
—Gregory Jusdanis, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
This was true even for innocuous, nonpolitical questions.
—Guthrie Scrimgeour, Wired News, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for innocuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocuous
Adjective
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Seemingly harmless details, like your child’s favorite candy or video game, can be used improperly in the wrong hands.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
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While many non-natives are harmless, some spread quickly and disrupt natural ecosystems.—
Deryn Davidson,
The Conversation,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Another benign skin growth called seborrheic keratoses is not connected to light radiation at all.—
Andrea Muraskin,
NPR,
23 Aug. 2025
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Looking back, at least 35 years ago, my rather benign gambling experience occurred in New Jersey.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Instead, Paul reacts with a fury that all but blasts the roof off: walls are bashed in, furniture collapses, a window goes bye-bye, and some innocent goldfish lose their aquarium.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
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If history is any guide, many innocent people will suffer before the incompetent grovelers and the vain objects of their groveling meet their inevitable fates.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Innocuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocuous. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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