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

But publishers seem to think that music rightsholders may have a better chance at proving market harms than authors did. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026 Attorney General Kwame Raoul said Friday that the state will be using the money on programs meant to address the harms caused by social media. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Meta’s $17-billion settlement revealed the harms of social media. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 The larger backlash against Big Tech New laws aiming to mitigate the potential harms of social media on kids are already being proposed and enacted across the country. — Shannon Bond, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026 States alleged that Meta’s internal research documented links between Instagram use and harms including depression, anxiety and body-image concerns among young people, while the company publicly minimized or concealed those risks. — Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026 Others on Wall Street, however, see higher levels of risk, equating Meta's case to Big Tobacco in the 1990s when tobacco companies had to pay billions for misleading the public about the safety and potential harms of their products. — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026 People see the potential harms of data centers clearly, and as such, 7 in 10 Americans oppose building data centers for artificial intelligence. — Jorge Aguilar, Baltimore Sun, 22 Aug. 2026 Screening more patients offers an opportunity to educate Americans on the benefits and harms of marijuana use. — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

Because the missions of people-helping organizations are so transformative for those who depend on them, all waste harms them. — Ryan Dewey Smith, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Paul Schmidt, an attorney for Meta, said research does not support claims that social media harms adolescents' well-being and disputed claims of addiction. — CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 Here is what the research shows about how sleep deprivation harms parents, why the newborn years are especially brutal and what sleep specialists say actually works. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 11 Aug. 2026 Those nitrogen oxides combine with volatile organic compounds on hot summer days, and the pollution contributes to climate change and harms human health. — Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 7 Aug. 2026 The independent authors concluded that the state should funnel more money toward voluntary services, especially after hearing about the coercion and harms that people experienced under AOT orders. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026 Development creates local pollution that harms children’s health and can damage the cultural heritage of Indigenous sites. — Justin Worland, Time, 4 Aug. 2026 According to their study, these thin-film solar cells held onto over 90 percent of their original efficiency after being exposed to a harsh reverse bias of minus 40 volts, which usually harms standard thin-film solar cells. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026 Far from being a resolution to moving past trauma, Stevens said, the forgive-and-forget doctrine likely harms victims more. — Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 20 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harms

Noun

The Family Dollar employee suffered damages, including losses in compensation and benefits, medical expenses, and anxiety and emotional distress, according to the EEOC.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 31 Aug. 2026
The suit seeks unspecified damages for claims including legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty and racketeering.

— Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of damages

Verb

Travel could require boarding or pet-sitting expenses, while a dog that damages property or injures someone could create potential liability issues.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
The heist goes wrong when one sister injures her back and ends up trapped on the second floor, setting off an increasingly frantic bid to get out before the homeowner comes home.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of injures

Verb

Sure, the latter hurts the stats, but Daniels loved being able to close out the victory.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Aug. 2026
Yet YouTube has told creators cross-posting on its platform and Netflix hurts viewership on YouTube and conveys the idea that channels are deprioritizing the streaming platform as their primary distribution outlet.

— Lucas Shaw, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of hurts

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

Siegel noted that measles weakens the immune system and increases the risk of pneumonia, which can stem from measles itself or from a secondary bacterial infection.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Employment has been a mostly resilient area of the economy even as stubborn inflation continues to squeeze businesses and households, while consumer confidence weakens.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of weakens

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“Harms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harms. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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noun

verb

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