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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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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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
That crippled Huawei’s smartphone brand, once one of the world’s biggest.
—
Joe McDonald, ajc, 9 Mar. 2023
Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared, and hospitals filled with malnourished children.
—Christina Goldbaum, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023
Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared and hospitals filled with malnourished children.
—Yaqoob Akbary Kiana Hayeri, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2023
If nothing is done, this could cripple the ISS.
—Kay Bailey Hutchison and Jane Harman, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for cripple
Joe McDonald, ajc, 9 Mar. 2023
Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared, and hospitals filled with malnourished children.
—Christina Goldbaum, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023
Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared and hospitals filled with malnourished children.
—Yaqoob Akbary Kiana Hayeri, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2023
If nothing is done, this could cripple the ISS.
—Kay Bailey Hutchison and Jane Harman, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for cripple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cripple
Verb
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For example, deleting the genetic region responsible for producing this toxin in E. coli can actually incapacitate the bacteria from promoting cancer in animals.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2025
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Lasers can incapacitate pilots, many of whom are flying airplanes with hundreds of passengers.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Memorial at Florida State University after a fatal shooting killed two people and injured several others.—
Kati Weis,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2025
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The spill killed 11 people and injured 17 others as 210 million gallons of crude oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico (recently renamed by the U.S. government as Gulf of America) for a total of 87 days.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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He was paralyzed as a result of the shooting and died three months later.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
17 Apr. 2025
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The disturbing event all but paralyzes Kyle on the couch as the viral loathing continues.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The day he was inaugurated, Trump disabled the CBP One mobile app that the Biden administration had utilized since 2023 to create a more orderly process of applying for asylum from the U.S.-Mexico border.—
Rebecca Plevin,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
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Synology's firmware, as of this writing, allows for a configuration file edit that can disable checks for certified drives.—
Kevin Purdy,
ArsTechnica,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Arson – To unlawfully and intentionally damage or attempt to damage any real or personal property of another person or entity by fire or incendiary device.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Apr. 2025
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Sudden kicks, jumps, tackles, and awkward leg movements can damage groin muscles.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Miranda Jeyaretnam and Chad de Guzman reported on April 30, 2025, for the 50th anniversary of the war’s end, on how President Donald Trump is undermining U.S.-Vietnam reconciliation.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
30 Apr. 2025
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This kind of long-term vision is undermined by drastic and unpredictable trade policies.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Three people were wounded in a brazen knife attack Monday evening at the Linden Houses in Brooklyn, police said.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2025
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Three young teens were wounded overnight in a drive-by shooting on the South Side in the Chatham neighborhood, Chicago police said.—
Deanese Williams-Harris,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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His rookie season was marred by an uneven second half, which was hindered by hand and foot injuries.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Apr. 2025
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His final collegiate season was marred by a shoulder injury and insufficient QB play, but Loveland still led the Wolverines in receptions (56), receiving yards (582) and receiving TDs (five).—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cripple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cripple. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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