1
as in curse
a source of harm or misfortune
regarding the new laborsaving machinery as a bane, the 19th-century Luddites went about destroying it in protest
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2
as in poison
a substance that by chemical action can kill or injure a living thing
a plant that is believed to be the bane of the wolf
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Recent Examples of bane
Acronyms have been the bane of Newcastle United’s post-takeover existence.
—
Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Wolfsbane is part of a larger suite of banes; compounds and derivatives include ratsbane, fleabane, and cow-bane, each name signaling a different poison.
—Laura Murphy, JSTOR Daily, 28 Feb. 2025
Variably spelled wolf’s bane or wolfbane, wolfsbane is the common name for a poisonous plant of the genus Aconitum known to grow in alpine climates in Europe.
—Laura Murphy, JSTOR Daily, 28 Feb. 2025
This finger is the bane of my life.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bane
Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Wolfsbane is part of a larger suite of banes; compounds and derivatives include ratsbane, fleabane, and cow-bane, each name signaling a different poison.
—Laura Murphy, JSTOR Daily, 28 Feb. 2025
Variably spelled wolf’s bane or wolfbane, wolfsbane is the common name for a poisonous plant of the genus Aconitum known to grow in alpine climates in Europe.
—Laura Murphy, JSTOR Daily, 28 Feb. 2025
This finger is the bane of my life.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bane
Noun
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After turning undead and hiding her bite wound, Mary easily gets permission to re-enter the building, and quickly seduces Stack, before murdering him and infecting him with the vampire curse.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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Maybe that’s more blessing than curse in our age of baldly allegorical horror movies.—
A.A. Dowd,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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So after Ware was schooled, all too often caught out of position against the outside-inside game that resulted in a toxic case of pick your poison for the affable big man, the next chore is going back to school.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2025
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In a review of six cases of intentional pong pong seed ingestion reported to U.S. poison control centers, all were treated at a hospital, but only three survived.—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, the Panthers added defenseman Seth Jones, then shocked the hockey world by acquiring longtime nemesis and former Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand.—
Carol Schram,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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Kasie finds records tying Gemma to Parker’s (Gary Cole) old nemesis, Kansas City mob boss Carla Marino (Rebecca De Mornay).—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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While much research is still needed into the disease’s progression, Edgerly said people can take steps to potentially reduce their risk.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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Fighting the disease for over 30 years, Peters and his charity fundraised and sought to raise awareness on new treatments for cancer patients.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The toxics killed fish and wildlife, closed beaches, and endangered environmentally sensitive areas.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2025
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In Colorado, the process to choose the five priority air toxics included consulting with multiple stakeholders.—
Jenni Shearston,
The Conversation,
25 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bane. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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