as in healthy
not likely to cause someone to be afraid or worried; not threatening
It's best to approach the dog in a calm, nonthreatening way.
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Recent Examples of nonthreatening
These feel natural and nonthreatening but still move the conversation forward.
—
Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Pittsburgh Penguins The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.7 (7th)
McIndoe: Penguins are adorable, nonthreatening and almost completely harmless.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 20 May 2025
That last one may simply be unique to Logan Lerman, the latest nonthreatening boy to take center stage in HAIM’s new album rollout.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
Her previous recipes have included homemade marmalade, ratatouille, pasta from scratch, and tzatziki dip, which all sound lovely and nonthreatening.
—Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 31 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for nonthreatening
Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Pittsburgh Penguins The Athletic rating: 3.5 (6th) Fan rating: 3.7 (7th)
McIndoe: Penguins are adorable, nonthreatening and almost completely harmless.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 20 May 2025
That last one may simply be unique to Logan Lerman, the latest nonthreatening boy to take center stage in HAIM’s new album rollout.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
Her previous recipes have included homemade marmalade, ratatouille, pasta from scratch, and tzatziki dip, which all sound lovely and nonthreatening.
—Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 31 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for nonthreatening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonthreatening
Adjective
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The hope for a big payout could lead kidnappers to keep the victim healthy.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The crux of this formula is keratin, a protein shown to be vital to healthy and relatively more youthful nails.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
These were not harmless prompts.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The appellate court found that the prosecution failed to meet its burden to demonstrate, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the constitutional error was harmless.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And finally… Certain assists literally comprise a benign touch before a goal flies in.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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Most heart defects are benign, Franklin said, such as a patent foramen ovale (a tiny flap in the top chamber), or bicuspid aortic valve (a fusion of the aortic valve leaflets).—
Elizabeth Cooney,
STAT,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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While a standard Whiskey Sour is a delightful experience, almost invariably mixed with bourbon and made smooth and unobjectionable with egg white, the Rattlesnake is that same framework but greener.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
10 Jan. 2026
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After all, humans often intervene in the natural order in morally unobjectionable ways.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
13 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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That’s sort of what this number, also worn by the women’s team AG Insurance-Soudal, looks like, but the best word to describe this is ‘inoffensive’.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2026
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Plus, the jojoba oil gives it a light, inoffensive smell that’s heavenly to inhale compared to the strong, cloying scents of other men’s products.—
Irene Richardson,
InStyle,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But not everyone shares excitement over the success sequence — which may come across as innocuous advice, but detractors say is built upon dubious data, overlooks racial disparities and shames students who are raised in single-parent households.—
Elizabeth Chuck,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
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But federal officials have now taken issue with those seemingly innocuous sentences, according to Mandi Campbell, tribal historic preservation officer for the Timbisha Shoshone and a resident of the village.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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All these people and all this effort are required to make the Bridgertons’ lives painless and pleasant.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
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The procedure generally takes under an hour in total and should be completely painless.—
Hedy Phillips,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Sirianni remains safe despite the outcry, yet two young Eagles stars don't even bother to pay attention to the noise.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Whether that will turn out to be a safer bet as investors are starting to get cold feet over AI as well?—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nonthreatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonthreatening. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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