HARMS Synonyms: 151 Similar and Opposite Words

harms 1 of 2

noun

plural of harm

as in damages

something that causes loss or pain you were lucky to survive the fire without harm no harm in trying

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harms

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of harm

as in injures

to cause bodily damage to though she wasn't harmed by the flying glass, she slipped and fell on a piece and cut her hand

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as in hurts

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of the company's reputation has been harmed by allegations of crooked accounting

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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 harms

Noun

Acute harms, such as psychosis or suicide reportedly linked to specific chatbot interactions, are easier to identify and respond to than harms that build over months and years. — Ned Cooper, STAT, 26 Oct. 2026 Sanders-esque warnings about AI threatening humanity weren’t a focal point, suggesting the DSA camp that’s more focused on mitigating present harms is setting the terms of the conversation, at least in New York. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026 These types of harms could include defamation, bias, deceit and social engineering and much more. — Anat Lior, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026 Under the law, government agencies must identify and reduce harms of projects, and seek public input. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 Before making the decision to get screened, individuals should speak with their healthcare providers about the purpose of the screening and how it’s done, as well as the benefits, limits and possible harms, ACS advised. — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Apple has traditionally framed many of these harms as arising from particular apps and content. — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 Beyond the potential harms of exposing the public to psychological trauma, the Pentagon seemingly had not considered other challenges the livestream might pose, CNN reported. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 2026 The first and best way to avoid those kinds of harms is by getting the flu shot, which reduces the risk of serious illness by an average of 40 to 60 percent. — Caitlin Dewey, Vox, 14 Oct. 2026

Verb

Among Americans who believe AI harms society, roughly half use AI chatbots at least weekly. — Will Johnson, Time, 21 Oct. 2026 Wilson, the attorney general, also rejected the conclusion that EdChoice harms public education. — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026 Europe has long charged Beijing with deflating the yuan, by perhaps as much as 30%, and pursuing a policy of industrial overcapacity that harms European industries. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Research shows homelessness harms children, disrupting brain development and growth and leading to permanent changes in the brain and body. — Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 7 Oct. 2026 That pollution contributes to climate change and harms human health. — Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 3 Oct. 2026 Cadmium is classified as a human carcinogen and harms the kidneys and bones. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026 Jains typically do not eat root vegetables because harvesting them destroys the whole plant and harms life-forms around it. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026 Ground-level ozone harms human health, ecosystems and crop yields. — Dan Peck, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harms

Noun

The vehicle, which was still in motion, rolled into a nearby house and caused more than $5,000 in damages, the report said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
If Hurts doesn’t recover from his blood clots, potential damages could be massive.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of damages

Noun

Pittsburgh’s late arrival in Paris and injuries elsewhere are concerns, but the rushing and defensive advantages outweigh them at this number.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Officers found an unconscious adult man who was transported to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of injuries

Verb

Especially the guy who bangs a wrecking ball against the historic East Wing to make room for an incongruous ballroom monstrosity, who mars the sacred Oval Office with gold glitter and paves over the lovely Rose Garden.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Jacob Whitehead Homophobic chant mars Mexico’s win Before the World Cup, the Mexican football federation launched a campaign that featured the heroes of the country’s 1986 World Cup side.

— Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 June 2026

Definition of mars

Verb

According to official figures, even when the thermometer plummets to minus 22 °F (-30 °C), a situation that cripples most electric vehicles, the Atto 8 can still execute a 20 % to 97% charge in just 12 minutes.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
Federal illegality further cripples operations with banking and tax burdens.

— Peter Su, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026

Definition of cripples

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“Harms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harms. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of harms

noun

verb

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