Entry Word: cripple

Function: verb

Meaning: 1 to cause severe or permanent injury to <the car crash may have crippled two people for life> — see maim
2 to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of <the collision so severely crippled the ship that it had to be towed into port> — see damage 1
3 to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move <a wave of strikes crippled that nationʼs steel industry> — see paralyze