as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
the damaging effects of the sun on unprotected skin
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025
While the potential for additional flash flooding remains the greatest concern, there could also be a few strong to severe storms capable of damaging winds and perhaps a weak tornado, the weather service said.
—Kansas City Star, 25 July 2025
But this year more damaging tornadoes have come at a higher frequency, with four EF2 tornadoes already compared to three in all of last year.
—Jack Albright, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
Hail and damaging winds were some of the most serious impacts of the storm, but in Alabama, torrential rainfall also endangered people.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for damaging
Adjective
The board has had previous conflicts with Kelley Black, and in January voted to censure her for unprofessional and damaging actions, citing her disclosure of private student information, spread of false information and release of collective bargaining information.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025
While the potential for additional flash flooding remains the greatest concern, there could also be a few strong to severe storms capable of damaging winds and perhaps a weak tornado, the weather service said.
—Kansas City Star, 25 July 2025
But this year more damaging tornadoes have come at a higher frequency, with four EF2 tornadoes already compared to three in all of last year.
—Jack Albright, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
Hail and damaging winds were some of the most serious impacts of the storm, but in Alabama, torrential rainfall also endangered people.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for damaging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for damaging
Adjective
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That might help researchers discover which technology helps what kinds of people best and which makes no impact or is harmful to brain health.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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Pavi, like the many disabled characters in the Avatar universe that came before her, can serve as a reminder that inclusivity isn’t harmful to good storytelling but is a key part of it.—
Braedon Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
Verb
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Authorities accused an Arlington Heights man of hitting and injuring a Chicago Police officer while driving under the influence Sunday on the West side, according to a news release.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2025
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They two men are also charged with injuring another person, according to Patch.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The platform was recently accused by several state attorneys general of implementing addictive features across its family of apps that have detrimental effects on children’s mental health.—
Zach Vallese,
CNBC,
23 July 2025
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Water is a systemic need for plants of all types; however, too much water, whether supplied by rain or irrigation, is detrimental.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
20 July 2025
Adjective
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Here's what each means, according to the NWS: Heat advisory: A heat advisory is the lowest level and is issued for dangerous heat conditions that are not expected to reach the criteria for a more serious alert.—
Chad Murphy,
The Enquirer,
24 July 2025
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More dangerous heat waves The Great Lakes region warmed substantially faster in the six years since the last assessment than it did in decades prior, the report shows.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
24 July 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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Richard Mille changed the game to push watches as far into the future as possible by not compromising on production techniques and material usage.—
Allen Farmelo,
Robb Report,
26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The team identified three distinct behavioral phenotypes as a result of their experiments, representing the varying sensitivity of people to the adverse consequences (punishment) of their actions.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
24 July 2025
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Without such data, the systems can serve adverse, false results or fail to understand the context of a user’s query, among other issues.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
22 July 2025
Verb
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However, some have raised concerns about the mass layoffs being unethical, increasing unemployment, and harming the function of key government agencies.—
Maydeen Merino,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
15 Mar. 2025
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Staff reductions of this magnitude risk prolonging processing delays and increasing wait times for taxpayer support—disproportionately harming working families who rely on prompt refunds and accessible services.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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So the point is, if things feel especially bad, this is why.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
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If the individual begins throwing up, or if symptoms get worse or last for over an hour, then call 911.—
Chad Murphy,
The Enquirer,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Damaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/damaging. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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