1
as in to incapacitate
to cause severe or permanent injury to
the car crash may have crippled two people for life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to injure
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
the collision so severely crippled the ship that it had to be towed into port
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to paralyze
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
a wave of strikes crippled that nation's steel industry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 cripple
That crippled Huawei’s smartphone brand, once one of the world’s biggest.
—
Joe McDonald, ajc, 9 Mar. 2023
Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared, and hospitals filled with malnourished children.
—Christina Goldbaum, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023
Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared and hospitals filled with malnourished children.
—Yaqoob Akbary Kiana Hayeri, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2023
If nothing is done, this could cripple the ISS.
—Kay Bailey Hutchison and Jane Harman, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for cripple
Joe McDonald, ajc, 9 Mar. 2023
Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared, and hospitals filled with malnourished children.
—Christina Goldbaum, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023
Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared and hospitals filled with malnourished children.
—Yaqoob Akbary Kiana Hayeri, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2023
If nothing is done, this could cripple the ISS.
—Kay Bailey Hutchison and Jane Harman, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for cripple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cripple
Verb
-
With a range of up to 30 feet, pepper-spray balls are made of plastic that breaks on impact to release a chemical irritant intended to stun or incapacitate somebody.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
11 June 2025
-
You could be incapacitated or unable to act on your own but still need someone to make important decisions for you.—
Jim Wang,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
Verb
-
In May 2021, Ariely’s home was destroyed in a barrage of rocket fire from Gaza that killed two women and injured more than 90 people.—
Jean Marbella,
Baltimore Sun,
19 June 2025
-
Miguel Tapia Velázquez was critically injured in a shooting early Saturday morning in Fort Worth, according to police.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
In this article: The News The View From Europe The View From The Middle East The View From China The View From Russia The News Global leaders urged restraint Friday after Israel launched a major string of strikes on Iran aimed at paralyzing the country’s nuclear and military might.—
Natasha Bracken,
semafor.com,
13 June 2025
-
Trump Opens $5 Million Gold Card Visa Waitlist—What To Know Air India Plane With 242 Onboard Crashes Shortly After Takeoff In Western India This paradox has paralyzed innovation in privacy-sensitive sectors.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Verb
-
The solutions can add automatic doors for people who are only temporarily disabled, like those on crutches after breaking an ankle.—
Alan Schwarz,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
-
Eliminating support for the U.S. Geological Survey’s work on Chesapeake Bay restoration would effectively disable all water quality monitoring throughout the bay region.—
Kristin Reilly,
Baltimore Sun,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
Worn restorations: Dental fillings, crowns, and restorations can also become damaged or worn over time, exposing dentin and raising the risk of tooth decay.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
21 June 2025
-
There is radiological and chemical contamination at the Natanz facility, where an above-ground portion of the fuel enrichment plant was damaged after a military strike on June 13, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi told the United Nations Security Council on Friday.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
21 June 2025
Verb
-
History suggests the move may prove counterproductive, undermining concrete American interests in the name of rushing into a speculative new extractive frontier.—
Time,
Time,
17 June 2025
-
These weaknesses undermine its attractive valuation metrics and strong recent growth.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
On June 12, 2016, a gunman’s rampage killed 49 people and wounded 53 others, turning the club into the scene of one of the nation’s worst mass shootings.—
Skyler Swisher,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 June 2025
-
Meanwhile, at least 24 people have been killed in Israel, and more than 500 wounded.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
They were marred by injuries throughout the season, having entered the season with somewhat high expectations.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
-
Sunday night’s game was marred by an injury sustained by the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, who early in the first quarter went down with what would prove to be a torn Achilles tendon.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cripple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cripple. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share