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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of damaging
James B. Speta, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
Second, and more damaging, is the potential negative impact on your credit score.
—True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 9 Sep. 2025
Make sure to tumble dry on low to avoid damaging them or wearing them out too fast.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for damaging
Adjective
Even waiting for this to play out in the courts will be damaging and uncertain.
—James B. Speta, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
Second, and more damaging, is the potential negative impact on your credit score.
—True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
Severe hail up to 2 1/2 inches in diameter, roughly the size of a tennis ball, and damaging winds up to 70 mph are possible across eastern Colorado, forecasters said.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 9 Sep. 2025
Make sure to tumble dry on low to avoid damaging them or wearing them out too fast.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for damaging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damaging
Adjective
-
This vaporized the harmful metals in the red mud, and left behind a purified compound rich in aluminum.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
17 Sep. 2025
-
No one has gotten sick, but lead can be harmful to young children’s development.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Two Xpeng eVTOL flying cars collided during an air show rehearsal in Changchun, injuring one passenger (now stable).—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The attack marked the first incident of a bear injuring a person in Yellowstone in 2025.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That same day, a student opened fire at a Colorado high school, critically wounding two peers.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The man suspected of shooting and critically wounding a police officer in northern Georgia on Friday night has been taken into custody after an hourslong manhunt, officials announced.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Research is also abundant on the long-term detrimental impact of childhood trauma on a person’s mental and physical health through their adult life.—
Arash Javanbakht,
The Conversation,
15 Sep. 2025
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It can be gone in the blink of an eye, so to spend it on people that aren’t fulfilling me and to spend it on work that isn’t fulfilling me, to spend it on anything that isn’t fulfilling, is detrimental to him.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Boston comes in with three straight losses marring otherwise agreeable vibes.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
On the other hand, leaving rates too high could overly restrict spending and hiring, hurting the economy.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
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But the addition of so many people had the unwanted consequence of sending home prices in these markets through the roof, hurting locals' ability to buy.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Demonizing or attempting to eliminate those who think differently – literally or symbolically – has become a dangerous norm, which is all too evident in the wake of the Kirk shooting.—
Arash Javanbakht,
The Conversation,
15 Sep. 2025
-
During volatile periods, this becomes especially dangerous because customer loyalty becomes more fragile and harder to rebuild.—
Talbott Roche,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Instead of pulling out a Magic Eraser to free the gunk (and compromising the protective coating), let the cookware soak for a bit before scrubbing it with a sponge or bristle brush.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
17 Sep. 2025
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Having a solid structure in place can allow kindness to thrive without compromising the performance of your team or operations.—
Roxana Diaconu,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Damaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damaging. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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