How to Use harmful in a Sentence

harmful

adjective
  • DDT has been proven to be extremely harmful to the environment.
  • That's not right, and this lawsuit seeks to stop this harmful merger.
    Kate Gibson, CBS News, 15 Jan. 2024
  • That’s not right, and this lawsuit seeks to stop this harmful merger.
    Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 15 Jan. 2024
  • Some microbes are helpful to the body, while others can be harmful.
    Andrea Michelson, Verywell Health, 29 Aug. 2023
  • Often, a small glass of milk or bowl of yogurt is enough to protect your belly from the harmful effects of the medicine.
    Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 10 Jan. 2024
  • This can expose the brain to chemicals and proteins that are harmful to it – compounds that are safe in the blood but toxic to the brain.
    Rachael Seidler, Discover Magazine, 22 Sep. 2023
  • The unique design and structure make this wire creation sturdy — and sometimes harmful to the touch.
    Brittany Kasko, Fox News, 24 Nov. 2023
  • But according to Michel’s new lawyers, Kenner’s use of the program was harmful, not helpful, to his client’s case.
    Bill Donahue, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2023
  • That doesn’t mean that there won’t be serious consequences to AI, some of them harmful.
    Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 20 July 2023
  • This is much more harmful than protests on ivy league campuses, but this is allowed to run rampant?
    Will Oremus, Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2023
  • Experts tend to agree that social media can be harmful.
    Melissa Willets, Parents, 10 Jan. 2024
  • The downside is that their speech can be hateful, harassing, false and harmful in other ways.
    Erwin Chemerinsky, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024
  • Wishy-washiness is so much more harmful to would-be hosts than a polite rejection would be.
    Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 19 June 2023
  • One common myth around the eclipse is the idea that the total solar eclipse produces harmful rays that can cause blindness, according to NASA.
    Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024
  • Cloth, dust and surgical masks don’t protect from the harmful particles in smoke.
    Gwozniac, oregonlive, 31 Aug. 2023
  • Made Safe: The seal means it is not made with any substances the organization has deemed harmful to human health.
    Jamie Weissman, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023
  • Ground-ozone, or ozone near the ground, however, is harmful to humans and the environment.
    Aurora Sousanis, Detroit Free Press, 9 July 2023
  • The noise can be overwhelming, but other than that, cicadas are not harmful to humans.
    Bonnie Berkowitz, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024
  • This mineral formula is gentle on the skin, protects from harmful sun rays, and imparts a dewy, glass-like finish to the skin.
    Annie Blackman, Allure, 28 Nov. 2023
  • Sodium is cheap and abundant compared to lithium, the large-scale mining of which is harmful to the environment.
    Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 11 Jan. 2024
  • Our study suggests the death of a grandparent is harmful for many boys, and this is particularly true for boys of color.
    Michelle S. Livings, Scientific American, 18 Dec. 2023
  • Raccoons can carry rabies and roundworm, both of which are harmful to humans.
    Francisco Guzman, USA TODAY, 1 June 2023
  • These measures are designed to help ensure there are no harmful substances in the products themselves and to verify that what is in the bottle is what is on the label.
    Marisa Cohen, goodhousekeeping.com, 12 May 2023
  • Many of the chemical concoctions — designed to protect crops from harmful pests, fungi and weeds — are fatal to bees.
    Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2023
  • Don't use bleach or nail polish, which can be harmful to cats, dogs, and any other animals that wander onto your porch.
    Taylor Augustin, House Beautiful, 20 June 2023
  • Some ingredients in human CBD oil may be harmful or toxic to dogs.
    Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 5 Nov. 2023
  • Zinc and titanium oxide create a protective film over the skin and are able to reflect harmful rays away.
    Anneke Knot, Peoplemag, 29 Sep. 2023
  • This light-therapy lamp simulates daylight without harmful UV rays to help boost moods and kick the winter blues.
    Nykia Spradley, Glamour, 20 Sep. 2023
  • How harmful is cosmetic plastic glitter to the planet—and to the US, specifically?
    Kayla Greaves, Vogue, 8 Nov. 2023
  • Read on to learn why some lubes can be harmful while trying to conceive, what to look for in sperm-friendly fertility lubricant, plus what to avoid.
    Nicole Harris, Parents, 2 Mar. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'harmful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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