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
After his leg was amputated, doctors reportedly discovered that the cancer had aggressively spread to his bladder, leading to a massive pelvic surgery.
—
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Cassie’s life is changing all the time, while her husband, Nate Jacobs, is stuck in a finger-amputating Groundhog Day.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 May 2026
And a few fans had limbs amputated.
—Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
In that campaign, he was joined by Aron Ralston, the mountaineer who had to amputate part of his right arm to survive a climbing accident, and others who were bitten by rattlesnakes and hunted by hungry vultures.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for amputate
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Cassie’s life is changing all the time, while her husband, Nate Jacobs, is stuck in a finger-amputating Groundhog Day.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 May 2026
And a few fans had limbs amputated.
—Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
In that campaign, he was joined by Aron Ralston, the mountaineer who had to amputate part of his right arm to survive a climbing accident, and others who were bitten by rattlesnakes and hunted by hungry vultures.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for amputate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amputate
Verb
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When tube feet were severed, the wound margin was a mess of missing or fragmented epidermal and connective tissue.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
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Then came the collapse of the Assad regime, in Syria, severing the land route long used by Hezbollah to transport rockets, antitank missiles, and precision-guidance systems from its Iranian patron.—
Euan Ward,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The Venice Biennale opened its most chaotic and contested edition in recent memory on May 9, with the prestigious Golden Lion yanked from contention after the jury quit in protest of Israel’s and Russia’s participation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
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Investors in Blackstone’s flagship private credit fund sought to yank 10% of their money this quarter, showing that the jitters engulfing the industry may be deepening.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Amputate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amputate. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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