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
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Recent Examples of innocuous
While seemingly innocuous, the approach would have been concerning enough for just about anybody in those circumstances to set off a red flag, or at least raise a yellow one.
—
Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
This latest fight starts with a comment Natalie makes at work that is both obnoxious and innocuous.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2026
But new research suggests that the deprivation of this essential molecule was not an innocuous evolutionary shift but actually a clever defense against parasitic infections.
—Jay Kakade
january 19, New Atlas, 19 Jan. 2026
The hit looked relatively innocuous, but Nix was limping slightly after the play.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for innocuous
Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
This latest fight starts with a comment Natalie makes at work that is both obnoxious and innocuous.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2026
But new research suggests that the deprivation of this essential molecule was not an innocuous evolutionary shift but actually a clever defense against parasitic infections.
—Jay Kakade
january 19, New Atlas, 19 Jan. 2026
The hit looked relatively innocuous, but Nix was limping slightly after the play.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for innocuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocuous
Adjective
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The bacteria are generally harmless in the gut, but when shed in feces and transferred to the urinary tract, the microbes can travel up the urethra and settle in the bladder.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
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Skin tags and cherry angiomas Skin tags are harmless growths that can appear anywhere on your skin but most commonly develop on the neck, eyelids, or underarms.—
Alex Vance,
Parents,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But as her parents Michelle and Mark Sneddon told STV news, it was dismissed as benign hormonal changes.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
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Will longer-term Treasury yields stay in their benign range as all this unfolds?—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Mangione has pleaded innocent to federal and state murder charges; the state charges carry the possibility of life in prison.—
MICHAEL R. SISAK THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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Several right-wing social media figures and conservative commentators have also shared the video and suggested that Pretti was not an innocent bystander, but rather someone who was deliberately seeking confrontation.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Innocuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocuous. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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