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cripples

verb

present tense third-person singular of cripple
1
as in incapacitates
to cause severe or permanent injury to the car crash may have crippled two people for life

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2
as in injures
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 paralyzes
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move a wave of strikes crippled that nation's steel industry

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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 cripples Federal illegality further cripples operations with banking and tax burdens. — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026 In the final version of the film, Furiosa captures Dementus, cripples him, brings him back to the Citadel. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026 The author takes an overnight Amtrak journey instead of a flight to Washington as the government shutdown cripples Atlanta’s airport. — Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026 These pressures could produce a tsunami that fractures the state’s fiscal foundation, self-inflicts a crisis ultimately demanding drastic cuts, and cripples its competitiveness. — Andrew Rein, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026 Scarface and friends attack the lab, and break out the kryptonite that cripples El and Kali. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025 Second, this ambiguity around responsibility cripples an organization’s ability to respond effectively. — Nelson Lim, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025 Drones allow aggressors to target critical infrastructure that cripples a defender’s economy at low cost and with high accuracy. — Omar Al-Ubaydli, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2025 An ongoing alien siege cripples the world’s militaries, infrastructure, and communication centers but Will can run Premiere Pro, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and remote control a Tesla all at the same time. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cripples
  1. incapacitates
  2. injures
  3. paralyzes
  4. disables
  5. damages
  6. undermines
  7. maims
  8. mars
Verb
  • The Martian tells the story of astronaut Mark Watney, who becomes stranded on Mars after a dust storm incapacitates him.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 28 May 2026
  • Lorenzo confronts and incapacitates Pepe, Sonia’s main ally, before facing Sonia herself.
    — Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
Definition of incapacitates
Verb
  • This pest injures the host plant by using its piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Travel could require boarding or pet-sitting expenses, while a dog that damages property or injures someone could create potential liability issues.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of injures
Verb
  • The wasp gets its name from its reproductive cycle, where a female paralyzes a tarantula to serve as a live host for her larva.
    — Sean Donnelly, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Fear, like ignorance, shuts our eyes to and paralyzes our trust in God’s omnipotence, omniscience, and unfailing love for His children, whereas the understanding of God’s ever-present goodness removes the fear that generates suffering.
    — André Kisonga, Christian Science Monitor, 30 June 2026
Definition of paralyzes
Verb
  • The sole survivor disables HAL by disconnecting the power source.
    — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Operating anywhere near the bottom effectively disables the reserve due to a hard legal stop and the loss of emergency flow rates.
    — Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of disables
Verb
  • Smoking cigarettes damages blood vessels throughout the body and can cause heart attacks and strokes.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2026
  • That focus is understandable, since downtime is costly, damages brand reputation and results in poor customer experience.
    — Rick Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of damages
Verb
  • His silly walk undermines not only his dignified wardrobe but also the very idea of a professional persona.
    — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2026
  • That undermines the important fight against genuine antisemitism.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of undermines
Verb
  • Penal Code 597 states that any person who who maliciously and intentionally maims, mutilates, tortures, or wounds a living animal is guilty of a crime.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The attack only maims Aegon, who is left bedridden and unable to walk on his own.
    — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 20 June 2026
Definition of maims
Verb
  • Especially the guy who bangs a wrecking ball against the historic East Wing to make room for an incongruous ballroom monstrosity, who mars the sacred Oval Office with gold glitter and paves over the lovely Rose Garden.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Jacob Whitehead Homophobic chant mars Mexico’s win Before the World Cup, the Mexican football federation launched a campaign that featured the heroes of the country’s 1986 World Cup side.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of mars

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Cite this Entry

“Cripples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cripples. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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