as in severing
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 amputating
Before his death, attempts had been made to save Abrahams by amputating his leg, ITV reported.
—
Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
The main characters, who wake up chained to pipes, quickly realize amputating their own foot is the only means of escape.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
What to know about California’s new claw law Declawing a cat involves cutting and amputating the first joint of a cat’s paw — essentially removing the toe, according to the San Francisco SPCA.
—Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
The main characters, who wake up chained to pipes, quickly realize amputating their own foot is the only means of escape.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
What to know about California’s new claw law Declawing a cat involves cutting and amputating the first joint of a cat’s paw — essentially removing the toe, according to the San Francisco SPCA.
—Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amputating
Verb
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Chinese vessels have been caught secretly severing undersea communication cables in Taiwan’s waters.—
Michelle Kuo,
The Dial,
14 Apr. 2026
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After watching his ball go into the bunker, the LIV golfer then attacked a nearby water cooler, severing the head of the club from its shaft.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra believed Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball should have been ejected after yanking on star center Bam Adebayo’s foot, causing an injury to his lower back.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
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The video shows the pacing man pounding on the front door and attempting to kick it in before yanking down a hanging doorbell fixture near the entryway and hurling it at the doorway.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Amputating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amputating. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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