as in harmless
not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt
those innocuous lies we must tell every day if society is to remain civil
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of innocuous
The name seemed innocuous enough when the program was approved by Congress in 2021 as part of a $65-billion investment meant to bring internet access to every home and business in the United States.
—
Barbara Ortutay, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
While online challenges can seem innocuous, reports of young people dying as a result of their participation are increasingly common.
—Lauren Coulman, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
These seemingly innocuous actions can kindle dry grass, potentially triggering a wildfire.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2025
In contrast to most Final Destination deaths, in which any number of innocuous objects could, and often do, possess the potential for danger, there’s only one in Lewis’s case that’s repeatedly emphasized — two scimitars hanging on the gym wall above him.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for innocuous
Barbara Ortutay, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
While online challenges can seem innocuous, reports of young people dying as a result of their participation are increasingly common.
—Lauren Coulman, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
These seemingly innocuous actions can kindle dry grass, potentially triggering a wildfire.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2025
In contrast to most Final Destination deaths, in which any number of innocuous objects could, and often do, possess the potential for danger, there’s only one in Lewis’s case that’s repeatedly emphasized — two scimitars hanging on the gym wall above him.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for innocuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocuous
Adjective
-
What some viewers initially perceived as a harmless prank quickly escalated into a tense exchange.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
12 June 2025
-
In contrast to organic arsenic, a largely harmless compound commonly found in seafood, less than an eighth of a teaspoon of the inorganic powder can be fatal to an adult.—
Caroline Fraser
June 10,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
But a lot of people hear things that aren’t there, and some find the experience both benign and controllable.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
3 June 2025
-
Perhaps most important, many observers at the time considered China to be relatively benign and largely content to keep its military within its own borders.—
Eric S. Edelman,
Foreign Affairs,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
To insinuate yourself into someone’s life, the biggest manipulators act like the most innocent victims.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
-
Loew was made the mark in a kind of confidence game, Schulberg recalls, with Thalberg and Mayer putting on a show of activity at the failing Louis B. Mayer Productions that nonetheless impressed the Hollywood innocent.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Innocuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocuous. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share