as in to sever
medical
to remove (part of a person's body)
His arm was badly injured and had to be amputated.
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Recent Examples of amputate
Lindsey Vonn says her left leg almost needed to be amputated following her horrific crash while competing at the Milan-Cortina Olympics this month.
—
Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
That was before 2023, when a bout with pneumonia led to an infection that required all of his limbs to be amputated.
—J.d. Miles, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Monger was eventually extracted from the car alive, but with severe injuries that ultimately led to him having sections of both legs amputated.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
One monk needed to have his leg amputated, while the other suffered less severe injuries.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for amputate
Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
That was before 2023, when a bout with pneumonia led to an infection that required all of his limbs to be amputated.
—J.d. Miles, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
Monger was eventually extracted from the car alive, but with severe injuries that ultimately led to him having sections of both legs amputated.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
One monk needed to have his leg amputated, while the other suffered less severe injuries.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for amputate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amputate
Verb
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By maintaining a deep, decentralized buffer of hydrocarbons, any nation, whether a major producer or a critical importer, can sustain its domestic energy flow even when maritime arteries are severed.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
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Then, use a sharp shovel, loppers, or other cutting implements to sever the roots around the tree.—
Daniel Scott,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This White House has also gone out of its way to slow or halt the development of solar and wind power, including multiple attempts to yank permits for offshore wind projects that have all been rejected by courts.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
5 Mar. 2026
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Grand Rapids yanked Sherlock with 44 seconds to play, and the extra man paid off as Jameson Duell scored 15 seconds later to tie the game and send it into overtime.—
Andrew Cornelius,
Twin Cities,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Amputate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amputate. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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