as in healthy
not likely to cause someone to be afraid or worried; not threatening
It's best to approach the dog in a calm, nonthreatening way.
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Recent Examples of nonthreatening
These feel natural and nonthreatening but still move the conversation forward.
—
Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Pittsburgh Penguins The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.7 (7th)
McIndoe: Penguins are adorable, nonthreatening and almost completely harmless.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 20 May 2025
That last one may simply be unique to Logan Lerman, the latest nonthreatening boy to take center stage in HAIM’s new album rollout.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
Her previous recipes have included homemade marmalade, ratatouille, pasta from scratch, and tzatziki dip, which all sound lovely and nonthreatening.
—Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 31 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for nonthreatening
Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Pittsburgh Penguins The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.7 (7th)
McIndoe: Penguins are adorable, nonthreatening and almost completely harmless.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 20 May 2025
That last one may simply be unique to Logan Lerman, the latest nonthreatening boy to take center stage in HAIM’s new album rollout.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
Her previous recipes have included homemade marmalade, ratatouille, pasta from scratch, and tzatziki dip, which all sound lovely and nonthreatening.
—Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 31 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for nonthreatening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonthreatening
Adjective
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But with Cole, Schlittler and Fried potentially healthy, operating at full capacity and spearheading this rotation down the stretch and into October?—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2026
-
Essential Care Tips Proper cucumber care leads to a speedy, healthy harvest.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said at a news conference that Hill’s conduct was inappropriate but ultimately harmless.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
-
This harmless, doll-like look juxtaposed with the anger running through their punk discographies and unruly performances was meant to subvert the expectations of women as docile objects in the patriarchy.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
The vast majority of lesions dermatologists examine with the dermatoscope are benign, Wei notes.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
23 May 2026
-
And can the extreme technical divergences and multiple overbought conditions be ameliorated without much pain, as suggested by Monday's benign rotational action in the face of a stiff drop in semis and other momentum stocks?—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
Adjective
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This is useful for all sorts of unobjectionable things, such as Covid testing and tracing.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
10 May 2026
-
Taking a reassuring tone, the post walks readers through a series of unobjectionable commitments.—
Maggie Harrison Dupré,
Futurism,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Inessential and inoffensive, frequently adorable and fun for the whole family, Jon Favreau’s film feels like three good-enough TV episodes smushed together.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
19 May 2026
-
An inoffensive, technically impressive spectacle that's kinda a snooze fest.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
These innocuous-seeming actions can kindle dry vegetation, potentially spawning a wildfire.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
-
However, even the quick-witted Conan couldn’t avoid being the latest target of an online crackdown sparked by a seemingly innocuous collaboration between it and My Hero Academia.—
Kalai Chik,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
In fact, tools like Face2social make the process quick and painless.—
William Jones,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2026
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During the primary stage, within a few days to a few weeks of infection, most patients develop a painless ulcer at the site of exposure.—
Casey Pinto,
The Conversation,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Opting for a midi-length dress is a safe choice that will feel polished without missing the mark.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
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However, there is no definitive national ranking from 2013 showing Los Angeles and New York City tied as the safest big cities in the country.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nonthreatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonthreatening. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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