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
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
Talk over your concerns with your boss in a nonthreatening and professional way.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2022
Much like Uncle Tom, Xavier, the perfect biracial teenager, is presented as a nonthreatening fantasy for the book’s white audience.
—Kiley Reid, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for nonthreatening
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
Talk over your concerns with your boss in a nonthreatening and professional way.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2022
Much like Uncle Tom, Xavier, the perfect biracial teenager, is presented as a nonthreatening fantasy for the book’s white audience.
—Kiley Reid, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for nonthreatening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonthreatening
Adjective
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The hugging may be a personality quirk, but not doing laundry for a month suggests that there is a problem in her life – economic, emotional, mental or logistical – that’s keeping her from maintaining healthy habits.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
20 July 2025
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For leaders, healthy paranoia channels that same response.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
Adjective
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In fact, the idea for the project began to take shape after Bad Shabbos producer Adam Mitchell heard about Weiner’s mother playing a harmless prank on an unsuspecting dinner guest.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
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Mites in other stages of the life cycle aren’t parasitic, so adults are harmless to humans.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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Yet Ozzy’s voice sounded so benign and compassionate, downright vulnerable.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
23 July 2025
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Many signs of multiple myeloma are common to benign and harmless conditions, so laboratory and imaging testing are necessary to determine whether your symptoms are related to this disease.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Maybe that’s the lesson the university is actually communicating to its students, beneath whatever charmingly nasal encouragement Kermit doles out on graduation day: to err on the unobjectionable side when things look dicey.—
Callie Holtermann,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Many orders can be unobjectionable, such as giving federal employees the day after Christmas off.—
Josh Boak,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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That approach amps up the comedy, especially the prevailing idea that the largely inoffensive Chad could be any kind of real threat to the staid little onstage community.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
14 July 2025
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This is how actor David Tennant, back for his second consecutive year hosting, chose to open the 2025 BAFTAs before jumping into an inoffensive monologue heavy on tepid puns.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Each bomb test was given an innocuous name—Sugar, Easy, Zucchini, Orange—and then detonated in the desert or ocean.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
10 July 2025
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Moving from innocuous examples, consider the spread of misinformation on social media.—
Shaon Lahiri,
The Conversation,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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The wide mouth handles ice without fuss, and cleaning is painless thanks to the dishwasher-safe lid, making this a reliable companion for any trail adventure.—
Brandon Schultz,
Travel + Leisure,
17 July 2025
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His quest to get out of Phoenix became relatively painless, as the Suns reportedly agreed to trade him to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, this year’s 10th pick and five second-round selections.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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The performance itself begins at 7:20 p.m., followed by an after-party at 9 p.m. Event organizers encourage rideshare for a safe and carefree experience, though free parking is available across the street from the venue at 6101 Highland Campus Dr. Building 3000.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
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The lesson of Lilith Fair — that women artists could have their own stage on which to perform and feel safe — will be front and centre as the Canadian documentary launches in Toronto.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nonthreatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonthreatening. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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