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
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
Talk over your concerns with your boss in a nonthreatening and professional way.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2022
Much like Uncle Tom, Xavier, the perfect biracial teenager, is presented as a nonthreatening fantasy for the book’s white audience.
—Kiley Reid, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for nonthreatening
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
Talk over your concerns with your boss in a nonthreatening and professional way.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2022
Much like Uncle Tom, Xavier, the perfect biracial teenager, is presented as a nonthreatening fantasy for the book’s white audience.
—Kiley Reid, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for nonthreatening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonthreatening
Adjective
-
Experts have said for some time that not all fats are bad—in fact, some are healthy and key to a balanced diet that can contribute to better weight management.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
That gunk could indicate that the river ecosystem isn’t healthy, Eichert told the Statesman, which could be due to dams upriver changing the historical flooding in the region.—
Alex Music
July 8,
Idaho Statesman,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
The grunting, the couple now know, was not harmless.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
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For most people, drinking a concoction of OJ, coconut water and pink salt is pretty darn harmless and could even be beneficial.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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In the first half of 2025, inflation data has been largely benign, but the worst may be yet to come: Goldman Sachs economists predict core PCE inflation will surge to 3.4% by December, which would be the highest rate since 2023.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
Finland has been a benign competitor since its 2005 semifinal stunner.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
Maybe that’s the lesson the university is actually communicating to its students, beneath whatever charmingly nasal encouragement Kermit doles out on graduation day: to err on the unobjectionable side when things look dicey.—
Callie Holtermann,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Many orders can be unobjectionable, such as giving federal employees the day after Christmas off.—
Josh Boak,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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There would also be logistical questions to address, including who's responsible for supervising students if they are made to leave their classroom during certain lessons and how to select alternative material that is inoffensive to their parents.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
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Believing in any conspiracy theory, even one that seems as inoffensive or silly as the flat Earth theory, can set a person up to fall into larger conspiracy theories, Dashtgard says, like the idea that feminism is a global conspiracy meant to drag men down.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Topping the list were fish, hamsters, ducks, and tortoises—choices that may seem innocuous yet drew considerable feedback from those who had cared for them.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
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To the grandparent, the situation might seem innocuous; after all, its just one episode of television while the adults do chores.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
Isla chooses to end her life, and Kelson gives her a painless death.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
23 June 2025
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The monitor is a painless patch that sticks to your skin.—
Michaeleen Doucleff,
NPR,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
The linen cotton blend isn’t see-through and is safe to machine wash on a gentle cycle and even tumble dry on low afterward.—
Jacquelyn Smith,
Parents,
12 July 2025
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The company carried out launch and landing tests last year, with one of the hops reaching around 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) in altitude before executing a powered descent and safe landing.—
Andrew Jones,
Space.com,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nonthreatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonthreatening. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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