as in injured
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1
as in incapacitated
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 damaged
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 paralyzed
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
a wave of strikes crippled that nation's steel industry
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Recent Examples of crippled
Sean Camacho, Denver Post, 4 Mar. 2026
Merrill had the same impulse—the need to become a self not necessarily free of all that money could buy but not crippled or deadened by it, either.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Newark International Airport was also crippled, with 92% of its flights canceled, according to tracking site FlightAware.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
An additional 20,000 men on both sides were maimed, crippled or otherwise wounded.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
In August 2023, a cyberattack crippled operations at Prospect’s facilities around the country.
—Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
Nashville, where power infrastructure was particularly crippled, is forecast to only reach around 20 degrees while Tupelo could approach 26 degrees.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
The crippled Apollo 13 spacecraft flew a similar circumlunar route, reaching 158 miles beyond the far side of the moon at its most remote remove.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
Some—or all—of that could be crippled if an autonomous agent just completes a transaction and then vanishes.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Jan. 2026
Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
By controlling Gaza’s land, air and sea access, Israel has crippled its economy and infrastructure.
—Ken Barnes, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
The kingdom has suffered the fallout from regional conflicts before, most notably during a 2019 attack on its Abqaiq processing facility — claimed by Iran’s Houthi allies — that briefly crippled its output.
—Salma El Wardany, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026
Ordinary Iranians objected to the country’s intrusive authoritarian system, an economy crippled by devastating international sanctions intended to coerce the regime to curb its nuclear program, and the mullahs’ preoccupation with international affairs.
—Richard Hall, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
Supporters say the policy could help ease severe shortages that have crippled daily life on the island, while critics fear the Cuban government could still benefit indirectly.
—CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
New York and other cities are being crippled by a historic storm that is dropping record amounts of snow on the region.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
None of this will be shocking to anyone who’s lived in an American city crippled by disinvestment and self-dealing—or even to anyone who’s watched a David Simon show on HBO.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
In 2021, a record-shattering outbreak of cold in Texas crippled the state’s electric grid, a meltdown blamed in large part on failures in its gas infrastructure.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
In just this latest example, the people of Lakewood are stuck having to come up with a huge sum of cash that will leave services crippled, rainy day funds depleted, and an immediate future of uncertainty and apprehension, to pay off these billion-dollar corporations.
—Sean Camacho, Denver Post, 4 Mar. 2026
Merrill had the same impulse—the need to become a self not necessarily free of all that money could buy but not crippled or deadened by it, either.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Newark International Airport was also crippled, with 92% of its flights canceled, according to tracking site FlightAware.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
An additional 20,000 men on both sides were maimed, crippled or otherwise wounded.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
In August 2023, a cyberattack crippled operations at Prospect’s facilities around the country.
—Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
Nashville, where power infrastructure was particularly crippled, is forecast to only reach around 20 degrees while Tupelo could approach 26 degrees.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
The crippled Apollo 13 spacecraft flew a similar circumlunar route, reaching 158 miles beyond the far side of the moon at its most remote remove.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
Some—or all—of that could be crippled if an autonomous agent just completes a transaction and then vanishes.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
The four-week shutdown has crippled airport security, with waits exceeding three hours at some airports as screeners work without pay amid spring break travel.
—Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
By controlling Gaza’s land, air and sea access, Israel has crippled its economy and infrastructure.
—Ken Barnes, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
The kingdom has suffered the fallout from regional conflicts before, most notably during a 2019 attack on its Abqaiq processing facility — claimed by Iran’s Houthi allies — that briefly crippled its output.
—Salma El Wardany, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026
Ordinary Iranians objected to the country’s intrusive authoritarian system, an economy crippled by devastating international sanctions intended to coerce the regime to curb its nuclear program, and the mullahs’ preoccupation with international affairs.
—Richard Hall, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
Supporters say the policy could help ease severe shortages that have crippled daily life on the island, while critics fear the Cuban government could still benefit indirectly.
—CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
New York and other cities are being crippled by a historic storm that is dropping record amounts of snow on the region.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
None of this will be shocking to anyone who’s lived in an American city crippled by disinvestment and self-dealing—or even to anyone who’s watched a David Simon show on HBO.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
In 2021, a record-shattering outbreak of cold in Texas crippled the state’s electric grid, a meltdown blamed in large part on failures in its gas infrastructure.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crippled
Adjective
-
Ferris, who is a paramedic, helped to rescue and treat injured people.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Typically, full contact is the precursor to an injured player’s return to game action.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The format in which the Iranian regime released his statement did little to quell rumors that he could actually have been incapacitated, possibly even left in a coma, in the same strike that killed his father and mother.—
Haley Ott,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Jenny was traumatized and incapacitated for weeks.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Budapest is threatening to block a $103 billion loan to Ukraine unless Kyiv reactivates the Druzhba pipeline, a piece of Soviet-era infrastructure that has been out of service since it was damaged by a Russian attack in January.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Before heading onto the water, boaters should inspect all safety equipment and replace anything that’s damaged or expired.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Several companies are developing commercial BCIs, primarily for use in people who are paralyzed.—
Tanya Lewis,
Scientific American,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Danny Golden, a Chicago police officer who was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in 2022, received a home courtesy of the group.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The most recent blackout was blamed on a broken boiler at a thermoelectric plant that forced the shutdown of Cuba's power grid.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
While clinical care is often compassionate and skilled, the financial structure surrounding that care is deeply broken — Florida hospitals see the most revenue per capita in the country, while Floridians have faced some of the highest rates of surprise billing for hospital stays in the country.—
Linda D. Gadd,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Their mother was seriously wounded and remains in the hospital, the official said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Thomas Gross, the officer who was wounded, was shot in his upper shoulder.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated March 13,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Panthers’ season has been marred by injuries and players running on fumes in the aftermath of three consecutive runs to the Stanley Cup Final, including winning it all each of the past two years.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Peterson is breathtakingly talented as a scorer and on-ball initiator, but health concerns have marred an otherwise impressive freshman season.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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,
11 Mar. 2026
-
John Hodges was a small business owner disabled by a series of heart attacks.—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crippled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crippled. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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