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
And what little things contributed to the narrative, including a fairly innocuous exchange on the red carpet during an Oscars afterparty.
—
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Apr. 2026
Potato peels, pasta, and rice may seem innocuous, but once exposed to water, their starches swell and turn sticky, leading to gummy clogs in your pipes, says Dolan.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 12 Apr. 2026
In Outcome, the tape in question within the film ends up being, if not innocuous, relatively minor in the grand scheme of things.
—Josh Spiegel, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2026
Discover the altered gene, place healthy versions of the gene into innocuous viruses, give those to patients, hope that kickstarts the CFTR protein and corrects the problem.
—Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for innocuous
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Apr. 2026
Potato peels, pasta, and rice may seem innocuous, but once exposed to water, their starches swell and turn sticky, leading to gummy clogs in your pipes, says Dolan.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 12 Apr. 2026
In Outcome, the tape in question within the film ends up being, if not innocuous, relatively minor in the grand scheme of things.
—Josh Spiegel, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2026
Discover the altered gene, place healthy versions of the gene into innocuous viruses, give those to patients, hope that kickstarts the CFTR protein and corrects the problem.
—Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for innocuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for innocuous
Adjective
-
Some of these interventions are harmless and many can be quite helpful.—
Hannah Kerman,
STAT,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The new biopic of Jackson from director Antoine Fuqua and the Jackson estate paints the gloved one as the one true victim — a harmless Peter Pan figure whose own childhood was snatched away by a domineering father.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Far from benign, some experts say the videos can skew how people view and even interact with wildlife — potentially leading to perilous encounters.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
Then again, the political weather was much more benign, the two nations having worked hand in glove in the first Gulf War.—
Katie Nicholl,
Vanity Fair,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Abe told a judge at an April 27 proceeding that Allen has no prior arrests or convictions and is presumed innocent under the law.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Same goes for the three separate books that were pitched to me at the same time by the same publisher, all themed around why OJ Simpson is innocent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Innocuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/innocuous. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
