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
To pediatricians like Eby, the outbreaks meant every typically innocuous symptom in clinic — every cough or sniffle, every hive or wheal or welt — put him and his staff on high alert.
—
Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2025
These innocuous-seeming actions can kindle dry vegetation, potentially spawning a wildfire.
—Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 18 Dec. 2025
Scholars and students alike say that even far more innocuous use of AI is fundamentally re-wiring our brains.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
These innocuous greens look like weeds but taste better than spinach.
—Von Diaz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for innocuous
Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2025
These innocuous-seeming actions can kindle dry vegetation, potentially spawning a wildfire.
—Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 18 Dec. 2025
Scholars and students alike say that even far more innocuous use of AI is fundamentally re-wiring our brains.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
These innocuous greens look like weeds but taste better than spinach.
—Von Diaz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for innocuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocuous
Adjective
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Here are five times what seemed like a harmless toy turned into a puzzling moment online.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
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This is usually harmless and goes away when intake is reduced.—
Barbie Cervoni,
Verywell Health,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Nestled in the tiny eastern Connecticut town, the century-old building that once housed Burdick’s General Store appears to be an ordinary, benign example of historic New England architecture.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
9 Jan. 2026
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While largely benign, motion sickness can be highly unpleasant — often causing nausea, vomiting, and dizziness, as well as sweating, headache, and irritability in some cases.—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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Given sun in just the proper dose, which is no more than three or four hours of direct daily exposure, its innocent look of youth may persist for a decade.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Innocuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocuous. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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