put at harm

USAGE SUMMARY

"put at harm" is not an idiom or phrase used in standard written English.
Instead, the phrase used would be "put in harm's way." This phrase is used to describe someone who has been put in a dangerous situation, usually due to someone else's actions. For example: By continuing to ignore safety guidelines, the workers were put in harm's way.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Controlling the Type I error rate is a priority if there is only one study that is going to be performed and patients could be put at harm if the wrong screening test is selected.

BMC Medical Research Methodology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

We felt children were put at risk of harm".

The Guardian

Young heart patients who were treated at a Bristol hospital were "put at risk of harm" because of staff shortages and a lack of skills, a major review has concluded.

The Guardian

The head of Ofsted, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has said children could be put at risk of harm or exploitation by the failure to track pupils who are taken out of school.

The Guardian

Patients are continually being put at risk of harm, and health care organisations are struggling to learn effectively from past experiences in order to improve the safe delivery and management of care.

Safety Science

1 3 This is important as it gives a more accurate estimate of the numbers of patients who are potentially put at risk of harm by prescribing errors.

BMJ Open

"But we are more than happy to have those conversations and if we believe that there are parties that are serious and we can come to an agreement that doesn't put consumers at harm then maybe we can figure something out".

TechCrunch

"I felt the director really put people at harm.

Los Angeles Times

Criminal justice reform that reduces the incarcerated population even if it sounds awfully nice could senselessly put communities at harm, according to some old-school cops and prosecutors.

Vice

People were put at significant risk of harm to a life-threatening level.

The Guardian

As Randall argued in resisting a subpoena, "Journalists would as a collective profession be put at risk of greater harm and danger".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Opt for the more common and accepted phrase "put in harm's way" instead of "put at harm" for clearer communication.

Common error

The correct preposition to use with "harm's way" is "in", not "at". Ensure you say "put someone in harm's way" to avoid grammatical errors.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "put at harm" functions as a verb phrase intended to describe the act of exposing someone or something to danger or potential injury. However, it is not a standard or grammatically correct construction in English. Ludwig AI indicates that the correct phrase is "put in harm's way."

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "put at harm" might seem intuitively correct, it's not standard English. The accurate and widely accepted alternative is "put in harm's way". Ludwig AI clearly suggests using "put in harm's way". The limited examples found by Ludwig indicate a mix of source types, but due to its grammatical incorrectness, it's best to avoid "put at harm" in formal writing. Remember to consider the context and opt for more precise alternatives like "expose to danger" or "subject to risk" when appropriate. Always prioritize clarity and grammatical correctness in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

put in harm's way

More common and idiomatic alternative to "put at harm".

expose to danger

Focuses on the act of revealing someone or something to a potential threat.

subject to risk

Highlights the imposition of potential negative consequences.

jeopardize

Emphasizes the potential for failure or loss.

endanger

Stresses the act of placing someone or something in a perilous situation.

compromise safety

Focuses on reducing the level of security or well-being.

leave vulnerable

Highlights the state of being susceptible to harm.

make susceptible to injury

Focuses specifically on the potential for physical harm.

threaten

Indicates the presence of a potential danger or harm.

imperil

A more formal and less common synonym for endanger.

FAQs

What's a better way to say "put at harm"?

A more common and grammatically correct alternative is to use the phrase "put in harm's way", which means to expose someone or something to danger.

Is it correct to say "put at risk" or "put in risk"?

The correct phrasing is "put at risk". Although "put in harm's way" is the correct idiom, the same logic doesn't apply to "risk".

Can "endanger" be used instead of "put at harm"?

Yes, depending on the context, "endanger" can be used as a more concise and formal alternative. For example, "The policy endangers public safety."

How does "put in harm's way" differ from "expose to danger"?

"Put in harm's way" is an idiomatic expression that specifically implies placing someone in a dangerous situation, whereas "expose to danger" is a more general term that means to reveal someone or something to potential harm.