1
as in crippling
to cause severe or permanent injury to
a promising athlete who was severely disabled in a plane crash
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in paralyzing
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
disabled the controls for unauthorized users
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of disabling
Anthropic complied within hours, disabling the models for all customers globally, though other models remain active.
—
Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Blessing later ran into a wall, disabling the vehicle.
—Seamus Bozeman
follow, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
According to police, Cope refused to stop and continued fleeing after troopers attempted a PIT maneuver, disabling one state police patrol vehicle.
—Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 16 May 2026
More than half of people 75 and older are living with disabling hearing loss.
—Jon Hamilton, NPR, 14 May 2026
The detonation of a nuclear weapon in low-Earth orbit would likely destroy or incapacitate thousands of satellites, disabling critical military and civilian networks providing surveillance and communication services.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026
Only one goal, disabling Iran’s navy, has been achieved.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 11 May 2026
The plan also proposes universal coverage and would create a new benefit for older workers with disabling conditions.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
In addition to severe, disabling headache pain, a migraine can also trigger processes that affect the rest of your body and interfere with normal sensory function.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 30 Apr. 2026
Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Blessing later ran into a wall, disabling the vehicle.
—Seamus Bozeman
follow, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
According to police, Cope refused to stop and continued fleeing after troopers attempted a PIT maneuver, disabling one state police patrol vehicle.
—Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 16 May 2026
More than half of people 75 and older are living with disabling hearing loss.
—Jon Hamilton, NPR, 14 May 2026
The detonation of a nuclear weapon in low-Earth orbit would likely destroy or incapacitate thousands of satellites, disabling critical military and civilian networks providing surveillance and communication services.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026
Only one goal, disabling Iran’s navy, has been achieved.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 11 May 2026
The plan also proposes universal coverage and would create a new benefit for older workers with disabling conditions.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
In addition to severe, disabling headache pain, a migraine can also trigger processes that affect the rest of your body and interfere with normal sensory function.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disabling
Verb
-
The fall broke both his legs, crippling him.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
14 June 2026
-
The Ukrainian military sank several Russian warships in the Black Sea and at their Crimean bases, crippling Moscow’s naval capability and forcing it to redeploy its fleet to Novorossiysk.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The disease can be paralyzing, or even fatal.—
Ciara McCarthy
June 15,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
-
Moorehead has followed Clark’s story from 2000, when the running back for Eisenhower High School suffered a paralyzing spinal cord injury in a game through his death in 2012.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Tabitha grabs one of the weird, spooky totem things and drives it through the chest of the scarecrow monster attacking Donna, killing it – or at least incapacitating it – and the scarecrows retreat.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
One of four passengers in Bain’s car, 22-year-old Destiny Betts, suffered incapacitating injuries and was transported to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial from the scene, according to the report.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Key workplace factors undermining desire include constant connectivity, performing emotional labor, relentless multitasking, experiencing burnout, and failing to take genuine breaks.—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
Even after the revolution, prominent Sudanese preacher Abdulhay Yousif said the establishment of a women’s football league was aimed at undermining religion.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Sudanese paramilitary forces carried out drone strikes overnight in central Sudan, killing at least 15 people and wounding dozens, health officials said Thursday, as the use of unmanned aircraft becomes increasingly common in the more than three-year war in the African country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
-
Federal prosecutors allege Gresham opened fire on a MARTA train at the Midtown Station on June 5, wounding a teenager before fleeing the scene.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Yet the extremist group has mobilized its members and media outlets to ramp up criticism of the agreement, heaping pressure on Iranian negotiators who have been attempting to extract concessions from a US administration intent on weakening – and possibly ending – the Islamic Republic.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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After reaching record levels in the 1990s and 2000s, deforestation declined until the 2019-2022 term of then President Jair Bolsonaro, whose government was widely criticized for weakening environmental protections.—
Gabriela Sa Pessoa,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Primary hazards include damaging wind gusts, locally heavy rainfall and frequent lightning strikes, with hail and a brief tornado or waterspout also possible.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2026
-
Nelson is doing fine now In 2000, Nelson was diagnosed with HIV and sarcoidosis, a condition that went into remission until a severe case of Legionnaires’ disease in 2021 reactivated it, damaging both his lungs and liver.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disabling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disabling. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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