1
as in to incapacitate
to cause severe or permanent injury to
the car crash may have crippled two people for life
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cripple
Brody is looking at the clock and urging action to cripple the enemy’s ability to do anything else.
—
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
The massive loss of life crippled the Byzantine Empire, weakening its administrative capabilities.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
Highfill Mayor Chris Holland said that would put the city in an untenable position and would cripple the city financially.
—Arkansas Online, 19 Aug. 2025
Thomas’ absence has been crippling for the Giants in recent years.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cripple
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
The massive loss of life crippled the Byzantine Empire, weakening its administrative capabilities.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
Highfill Mayor Chris Holland said that would put the city in an untenable position and would cripple the city financially.
—Arkansas Online, 19 Aug. 2025
Thomas’ absence has been crippling for the Giants in recent years.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cripple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cripple
Verb
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The Justice Department in its June 2024 report on problems with policing in Phoenix found that police delayed medical assistance to people who appeared to be incapacitated as a result of the use of force by officers and used unreasonable force on people who had already been wounded by officers.—
Elena Santa Cruz,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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To write one’s way out of the incapacitating dependence of daughterhood into autonomy means shedding the unquestioning fidelity of a child.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One of two firefighters injured in a house fire in Fort Worth’s Historic Southside on Wednesday has been released from the hospital, while the other is recovering in the burn unit at Parkland Hospital, officials said.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Sep. 2025
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McCaffrey missed the first eight games of the season, then injured his knee in a Week 13 game in Buffalo, ending his season.—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Doctors spent several minutes resuscitating Luka before making the difficult decision to use a paralyzing agent to stop him from moving and potentially hurting himself.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
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Without these supports, free-will can feel utterly paralyzing.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
9 Sep. 2025
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Thankfully, it can easily be disabled via a physical button or touchscreen button.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Washing a couch or sofa, professional carpet and upholstery cleaner Ben Brazell says, is more precarious than carpet cleaning because the upholstery is often a lot more expensive and much easier to damage.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
8 Sep. 2025
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Private homes, farm buildings and power lines were damaged, Gusev said.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The problem comes when ideological casting choices begin to undermine the narrative, contravening Grisham’s famously effective structure and pacing.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Ten Hag’s first season at United yielded silverware and a third-place league finish, but also had bouts of concerning away form, with tactical weaknesses that would eventually spread and critically undermine his plans for the future.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Justice Department in its June 2024 report on problems with policing in Phoenix found that police delayed medical assistance to people who appeared to be incapacitated as a result of the use of force by officers and used unreasonable force on people who had already been wounded by officers.—
Elena Santa Cruz,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Two Chicagoans were fatally wounded in separate shootings Sunday evening, according to police.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Boy Meets World — Savage’s comedy legacy has been marred by multiple misconduct allegations over the years.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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Holes marred the walls in the kitchen under the dish machine, dry storage and dish storage rooms.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cripple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cripple. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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