as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
the pernicious effects of illegal narcotics on society
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Recent Examples of pernicious
On the surface, dietary advice to eat more vegetables hardly seems pernicious.
—
Rachel Hope Cleves / Made By History, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
Eggs have become vivid symbols of Americans’ frustration over the pernicious inflation of recent years.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025
One example was that the law capped the pernicious state and local tax deduction at $10,000.
—The Editors, National Review, 10 Feb. 2025
The pernicious effects of bias also play out in the workplace—with negative consequences for individuals and organizations.
—Iris Bohnet, Big Think, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pernicious
Rachel Hope Cleves / Made By History, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
Eggs have become vivid symbols of Americans’ frustration over the pernicious inflation of recent years.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025
One example was that the law capped the pernicious state and local tax deduction at $10,000.
—The Editors, National Review, 10 Feb. 2025
The pernicious effects of bias also play out in the workplace—with negative consequences for individuals and organizations.
—Iris Bohnet, Big Think, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pernicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pernicious
Adjective
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Some of these harmful ideologies might be downstream of these larger root causes.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2025
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The jury is still out on whether emulsifiers are harmful to the gut.—
Fran Kritz,
Verywell Health,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Cruise’s wing-walking sequence was somehow even more dangerous.—
Tyler Foggatt,
New Yorker,
24 May 2025
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Even ejecting from the aircraft can be dangerous and traumatic.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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The multitrillion-dollar GOP tax bill could have detrimental impacts on decarbonization efforts in the U.S., according to energy experts.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
23 May 2025
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President Donald Trump's economic agenda is having a detrimental impact on workplace mental health, according to the American Psychological Association (APA).—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Potent thunderstorms across the central and eastern U.S. this week could trigger flash floods, damaging winds and possible tornadoes as California prepares for its first heat wave of the season.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
29 May 2025
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The plains in southeastern Colorado can expect damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph, 2-inch hail, heavy rain and a chance for tornadoes, according to a Hazardous Weather Outlook from the weather service's Pueblo office.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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In 2023, for example, a federal judge ruled that mifepristone should be taken off the market by citing low-quality studies that reported adverse effects from mifepristone.—
Keren Landman,
The Atlantic,
24 May 2025
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Those impacted by this recall or others can report a complaint or adverse event by visiting Industry and Consumer Assistance.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pernicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pernicious. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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