as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
the damaging effects of the sun on unprotected skin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in injuring
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
the explosion in the sewers damaged the entire city's water supply
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wounding
to cause bodily damage to
his knee was badly damaged in the accident, and he walked with a limp for months
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of damaging
Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2025
But the increasingly frequent and damaging Ukrainian drone raids, combined with foreign sanctions, is weighing on Russian oil exports.
—David Axe, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
The storms are also known for their strong, damaging winds.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
Hurricane Helene was a Category 4 storm that created a 500-mile path of destruction from Florida to North Carolina with catastrophic flooding, damaging winds and power outages.
—Devyn Byers, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for damaging
Adjective
Meteorologists say the main threat will be damaging winds and hail, while the tornado threat is low.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2025
But the increasingly frequent and damaging Ukrainian drone raids, combined with foreign sanctions, is weighing on Russian oil exports.
—David Axe, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
The storms are also known for their strong, damaging winds.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
Hurricane Helene was a Category 4 storm that created a 500-mile path of destruction from Florida to North Carolina with catastrophic flooding, damaging winds and power outages.
—Devyn Byers, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for damaging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damaging
Adjective
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Scientists have found bits of plastic in the ocean that are coated in communities of microorganisms, including harmful bacteria.5 Jayakrishnan said the microplastics in the body may play a similar role, offering a medium for cancer-causing bacteria to grow and disrupt the gut microbiome.—
Claire Bugos,
Verywell Health,
7 Mar. 2025
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Insecticides have been identified as leading causes of butterfly decline, which can be tackled with policy intervention such as restricting harmful insecticides, promoting integrated pest management and encouraging diversified cropping, according to the study.—
Sarah Metz,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, a car plowed through a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday night, killing five people and injuring some 200 others.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
23 Dec. 2024
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The anti-immigrant rhetoric has been so acute that an anti-immigration far-right extremist in Germany — ironically himself an immigrant — just attacked a holiday market, killing at least five and injuring hundreds.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Studies have also shown that exercising during times of poor air quality—for instance, when there is a high level of these fine particulates in the air—is detrimental to our health.—
Claire Maldarelli,
Scientific American,
28 Feb. 2025
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As a former personal injury lawyer, Sam recognized that attorneys without medical training often overlook critical details in medical records and bills, which can be detrimental to their cases.—
Ethan Stone,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The 400-mile race is scheduled to start on Sunday after it was delayed by more than a month due to warm temperatures and a dangerous trail.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2025
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Freezing temperatures can endanger health, particularly of vulnerable groups like children and the elderly, whilst snow can lead to dangerous driving conditions.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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For example, Netflix uses it to deliver seamless streaming to millions, scaling efficiently without compromising speed.—
Jyothish R,
Forbes,
27 Dec. 2024
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Now, as Teddy barrels ahead with a Senate campaign, they are targeted by an anonymous leaker showing them in compromising positions.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Environmental groups have long opposed the new reservoir and objected to a shorter judicial review, saying the project will release unacceptable amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas, into the air in addition to other adverse impacts.—
Ari Plachta,
Sacramento Bee,
28 Feb. 2025
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Severe chikungunya-like adverse reactions occurred in 1.6% of IXCHIQ recipients and none of the placebo recipients, according to the FDA.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The fate of the company remains uncertain, and efforts to preserve its American roots could end up harming workers in Pennsylvania in the long run.—
Alan Rappeport,
New York Times,
3 Jan. 2025
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Even in the absence of barriers, a self-driving car would’ve stopped short of harming the crowd assembled in New Orleans on Wednesday, Missy Cummings, a professor of systems engineering and director of Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center at George Mason University, told ABC News.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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However, irrational exuberance can leads stocks of good companies to be bad stocks.—
Hersh Shefrin,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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Almost—the Cybertruck somehow manages to look worse in real life than in pictures; the confluence of angles where its various steel body panels fit together somehow serves to prove the exception to the rule that is the golden ratio.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Damaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damaging. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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