as in harm
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1
as in incapacitating
to cause severe or permanent injury to
the car crash may have crippled two people for life
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2
as in damaging
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 paralyzing
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 crippling
Josh Dinner, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
On December 7, 1941, 353 Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor, killing 2,403 Americans and crippling much of the Pacific Fleet.
—Big Think, 20 Oct. 2025
Perreira agrees that the financial imbalance in the game is crippling West Indies.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Related Stories Pogachefsky is now suing 42West and his former employees, accusing them of crippling his company and scuttling his talks to sell the firm.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
While many may worry that lending financial support to their children may be crippling them or enabling them, nearly 77% of the parents surveyed do so with some kind of stipulation or contingency.
—Essence, 19 Sep. 2025
Deadly floods in Asia have devastated crops, crippling already fragile food production.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Thomas’ absence has been crippling for the Giants in recent years.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
More importantly, if just one lock were disabled or destroyed, the passage from east to west would be essentially inoperable, crippling the United States and its military defenses.
—Shoshi Parks, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
Since then, they've been forced to work remotely — at a time when the government was doling out return-to-office mandates — preventing access to labs and crippling the center's mission of embedding NASA climate scientists within international academia.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
On December 7, 1941, 353 Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor, killing 2,403 Americans and crippling much of the Pacific Fleet.
—Big Think, 20 Oct. 2025
Perreira agrees that the financial imbalance in the game is crippling West Indies.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Related Stories Pogachefsky is now suing 42West and his former employees, accusing them of crippling his company and scuttling his talks to sell the firm.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
While many may worry that lending financial support to their children may be crippling them or enabling them, nearly 77% of the parents surveyed do so with some kind of stipulation or contingency.
—Essence, 19 Sep. 2025
Deadly floods in Asia have devastated crops, crippling already fragile food production.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Thomas’ absence has been crippling for the Giants in recent years.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
More importantly, if just one lock were disabled or destroyed, the passage from east to west would be essentially inoperable, crippling the United States and its military defenses.
—Shoshi Parks, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crippling
Noun
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Eco-conscious pest control is a way forward that offers robust protection and safer homes, refusing to accept that harm to the environment is simply a cost of doing business.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The fundraiser benefits Hamilton's CARES Foundation, an organization that works with cancer research centers and emphasizes finding cures that prevent long-term harm to patients.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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He is accused of slipping incapacitating drugs into victims’ food or drinks before assaulting them between 2021 and 2024.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
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While the name suggests something far more trivial, significant damage to the ligaments of the metatarsophalangeal joint can be incapacitating.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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If your hair is getting snagged while using the brush or seems to be damaging your hair, it should also be replaced.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
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The YouTuber-turned-boxer has been accused by a lot of people of damaging the sport by staging fights that are more bit than boxing.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In rare cases, the toxin can spread beyond the injection site to other parts of the body, paralyzing or weakening muscles needed for breathing and swallowing.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Their meet-cute involves a pterodactyl, a number of plants that shoot paralyzing needles, and a nest in which Thia has been imprisoned.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Erby also was convicted of committing mutilation of a body and five counts of burglary.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Even body horror buffs will shiver at the scenes of mutilation and murder in the woods.—
Emy LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The electricity has gone out several times, disabling the elevators and taking away his ability to get to work.—
Sydney Franklin,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
9 Nov. 2025
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In recent years, scientists have been able to identify many cytokines and create targeted therapies for a host of disabling, sometimes fatal, diseases.—
Jason Liebowitz,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Including playoffs, Mayfield turned the ball over more than anyone else from 2023 through 2024, marring an otherwise fantastic two seasons in Tampa Bay.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
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An optional front rack on both models adds instant utility without marring the retro-fantastic looks.—
William Roberson,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In handing down the sentence, Montenegro said Bonillo understood the scope of his misdeeds, abused his position of trust and used that position to enrich himself while undermining CBP’s main goal.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
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In late September, a wave carrying debris from a nearby home that had already collapsed slammed into theirs, undermining its foundation.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crippling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crippling. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.
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