CRIPPLE Synonyms: 167 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'cripple' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of cripple are batter , maim , mangle , and mutilate . While all these words mean "to injure so severely as to cause lasting damage," cripple implies the loss or serious impairment of an arm or leg. // crippled for life in an accident

Q: Where would 'batter' be a reasonable alternative to 'cripple'?

While in some cases nearly identical to cripple , batter implies a series of blows that bruise deeply, deform, or mutilate. // an old ship battered by fierce storms

Q: In what contexts can 'maim' take the place of 'cripple'?

The words maim and cripple can be used in similar contexts, but maim implies the loss or injury of a bodily member through violence. // maimed by a shark

Q: When is 'mangle' a more appropriate choice than 'cripple'?

Although the words mangle and cripple have much in common, mangle implies a tearing or crushing that leaves deep wounds. // a soldier's leg mangled by shrapnel

Q: When can 'mutilate' be used instead of 'cripple'?

While the synonyms mutilate and cripple are close in meaning, mutilate implies the cutting off or removal of an essential part of a person or thing thereby impairing its completeness, beauty, or function. // a tree mutilated by inept pruning

cripple

verb

Definition of cripple

as in to incapacitate

to cause severe or permanent injury to the car crash may have crippled two people for life

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to paralyze

to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move a wave of strikes crippled that nation's steel industry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb cripple contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of cripple are batter, maim, mangle, and mutilate. While all these words mean "to injure so severely as to cause lasting damage," cripple implies the loss or serious impairment of an arm or leg.

crippled for life in an accident

Where would batter be a reasonable alternative to cripple?

While in some cases nearly identical to cripple, batter implies a series of blows that bruise deeply, deform, or mutilate.

an old ship battered by fierce storms

In what contexts can maim take the place of cripple?

The words maim and cripple can be used in similar contexts, but maim implies the loss or injury of a bodily member through violence.

maimed by a shark

When is mangle a more appropriate choice than cripple?

Although the words mangle and cripple have much in common, mangle implies a tearing or crushing that leaves deep wounds.

a soldier's leg mangled by shrapnel

When can mutilate be used instead of cripple?

While the synonyms mutilate and cripple are close in meaning, mutilate implies the cutting off or removal of an essential part of a person or thing thereby impairing its completeness, beauty, or function.

a tree mutilated by inept pruning

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cripple Power outages crippled the Ferris wheel and melted ice cream. — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026 The flip side is that the state suffers crippling deficits when the market tanks, as during the Global Financial Crisis. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 Data centers are the latest escalation, with each side trying to cripple the other's internet connectivity and broader digital infrastructure. — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026 Block that passage, the thinking went, and China’s economy would be crippled. — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cripple

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cripple

Verb

Medical advances and popes’ longer lifespans, however, have highlighted this gap in church law and prompted calls for the Vatican to prepare for a pope becoming too ill or incapacitated to govern.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
Levin said that nothing could justify Lewie’s firing several shots at McConnell after he was incapacitated on the ground.

— Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of incapacitate

Verb

Monday's attack came a day after a Russian drone struck the village of Pisochyn in the Kharkiv district, killing three people and injuring nine others, including children, according to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
The script was about a last draft-pick NFL player who gets injured on his very first play and returns home to Alaska to become a fisherman.

— Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of injure

Verb

Iran appears to be targeting commercial vessels conducting oil transfers to try to undermine vessels' ability to move energy through the strait, the Institute for the Study of War said Tuesday.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
Despite the tension, Humphries rejected the suggestion that the issue would have undermined the chemistry behind her Olympic gold medals.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of undermine

Verb

The next day, Ukrainian drones hit the company's major data center in the Kaluga region, southwest of Moscow, disabling part of the facility, Yandex said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
The next day, Ukrainian drones hit the company’s major data center in the Kaluga region, southwest of Moscow, disabling part of the facilty, Yandex said.

— Susie Blann, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of disable

Verb

Miles said one of his friends made the decision to drop his early decision application to Cornell, not because of the incident itself, but for fear the school’s reputation would be damaged.

— Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Insurance payouts for mortgaged homes damaged or destroyed by fires are typically not sent directly to homeowners but instead are held by lenders or servicers, who then disburse the funds in tranches as a home is rebuilt or repaired.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of damage

Verb

But while those will provide short-term relief, the currency is expected to weaken toward the end of the year and mid-2027, and a 100 rupee-per-dollar mark could not be ruled out, strategists said.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
However, following his arrest, the owner, Mohammad Khan, blamed this week's rains for weakening one of the roofs, according to police, who said the investigation was still underway.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of weaken

Verb

Another six people were wounded, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced last week (in an interview with Pizzagate conspiracist Jack Posobiec) that the Pentagon would air the execution of the man convicted of the attack that killed 13 and wounded 30 more.

— Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of wound

Verb

Both Republicans had promoted the narrative that the 2020 election was marred by fraud.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
The tight finish came after a first half with see-saw action — mainly by Stewart — but was marred by whistles and questionable foul calls.

— Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of mar

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crinkling

cripple

crippled

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“Cripple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cripple. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of cripple

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