1
as in incapacitates
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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in paralyzes
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
a wave of strikes crippled that nation's steel industry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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
Verb
-
The Martian tells the story of astronaut Mark Watney, who becomes stranded on Mars after a dust storm incapacitates him.
-
Lorenzo confronts and incapacitates Pepe, Sonia’s main ally, before facing Sonia herself.
Verb
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Early on in the clip, Jake Johnson’s former tennis star Dusty Boyd trips over the net and injures his wrist in a bad way.
-
Who is responsible when a robot breaks something or injures someone?
Verb
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In fact, too much choice often paralyzes decision-making.
-
Once an octopus ambushes and bites its prey, the venom in its saliva paralyzes the prey, allowing the octopus to consume it.
Verb
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Apple has a similar feature on the iPhone where pressing the side and volume buttons simultaneously disables Face ID.
-
Five of eight inbound vessels were said to be dark, which is when a ship disables its Automatic Identification System, or AIS, transponder to hide its location, identity and destination.
Verb
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Most notably, those who switched faced a 24% higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, a condition that damages the blood vessels in the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.
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Your Eyes High blood pressure also damages the sensitive back lining of the eye called the retina.
Verb
-
That pressure erodes well-being, undermines family life, and disproportionately impacts working parents and caregivers.
-
It is believed internally that the organization’s independence has been dramatically compromised because she is also perceived as an opinion journalist with political ties to the current administration, which further undermines her credibility.
Verb
-
The attack only maims Aegon, who is left bedridden and unable to walk on his own.
Verb
-
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.
-
No sadness mars the purity of its paranoia.
Cite this Entry
“Cripples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cripples. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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