crippling 1 of 2

noun

as in harm

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crippling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of cripple
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

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 crippling
Noun
The 12-day barrage came on the back of a series of setbacks for Iran’s leaders, including the crippling of its regional allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. — Brian Bennett, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
Strikes over unpaid salaries, violent attacks on clinics and public mistrust fueled by misinformation are crippling fragile response efforts, as workers like Bondele keep showing up. — Prosper Heri Ngorora, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 Malawi, an African nation, faced severe 18-hour blackouts after Tropical Storm Ana destroyed a major hydropower dam in 2022, crippling its grid and highlighting reliance on intermittent solar and expensive diesel. — Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 That tracks with earlier reports about Iran’s president and central bank chief telling Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei the initial blockade was crippling the economy. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026 Florida didn’t have the cap space to work out the shorter term deal without crippling its ability to make other moves this offseason to enhance the roster. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026 Eddie Marsan also delivers a sympathetic turn as the sad sack dad worn down by the effects of capitalism and sometimes crippling OCD. — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026 The fall broke both his legs, crippling him. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 14 June 2026 The Ukrainian military sank several Russian warships in the Black Sea and at their Crimean bases, crippling Moscow’s naval capability and forcing it to redeploy its fleet to Novorossiysk. — ABC News, 11 June 2026 Anxiety over ChatGPT and other emerging technology helped derail talks with both unions and the AMPTP in 2023, leading to crippling dual strikes. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 31 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crippling
  1. harm
  2. incapacitating
  3. damaging
  4. paralyzing
  5. mutilation
  6. disabling
  7. marring
  8. undermining
Noun
  • Kennedy has also sought to personally reform the agency’s vaccine policy, firing all 17 of its vaccine advisers and replacing them with his own picks, many of whom have questioned the benefit of vaccines while exaggerating their harms.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Sarahi Azucena Gonzalez, 22, faces one felony count of child abuse without great bodily harm and one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency or dependency of a child, according to her arrest report.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of harm
Verb
  • Some people with severe cases – with a high fever or incapacitating diarrhea that is bloody – may need to get care at a hospital.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The driver hits Leatherface in the head with a wrench, incapacitating him long enough for the driver to run away and Sally to jump into the cab of a passing pickup truck.
    — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026
Definition of incapacitating
Verb
  • There are different types of algae scrapers for both glass and acrylic fish tanks, so choose accordingly to avoid scratching or damaging the aquarium.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Use low-pressure water to avoid damaging the aluminum fins and causing performance issues.
    — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of damaging
Verb
  • Gripped by a paralyzing fear for the fate of her future children, Naama returns to the same monument where the infidelity took place; there, her parents appear before her.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
  • But as anyone who’s stared at a wall of swatches well knows, choosing the right shade can feel paralyzing.
    — Kelly Dawson, Architectural Digest, 31 July 2026
Definition of paralyzing
Noun
  • Several of the remains were face down with their hands and feet bound, while others discovered there showed signs of mutilation or decapitation.
    — Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 26 July 2026
  • Twenty-one-year-old Burke has been charged with the first-degree murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, as well as lewd and lascivious acts with a 13-year-old, and mutilation of human remains.
    — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 22 July 2026
Definition of mutilation
Verb
  • In June, the current presidential administration imposed export controls on Anthropic, which led to the company disabling its advanced Mythos 5 and Fable 5 models.
    — Eric Reicin, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Iran is the prime suspect in the cyberattacks, which can blind utility operators by changing passwords or disabling alarms, according to the sources, though its involvement has not been officially confirmed.
    — Luke Barr, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of disabling
Verb
  • To prevent a similar war from happening again, Menelaus scarred her face, permanently marring her famous beauty.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • Lined with live oaks and old-fashioned, busy storefronts, this artsy town on the Gulf of Mexico has no commercial development marring its shoreline.
    — Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 16 June 2026
Definition of marring
Verb
  • The strikers warned that unpaid wages were undermining morale and affecting patient care.
    — Prosper Heri Ngorora, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Family conflicts related to inheritance are among the most common factors undermining wealth transfers.
    — Medora Lee, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of undermining

Browse Nearby Words

cripples
crippling
cris de coeur
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Cite this Entry

“Crippling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crippling. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of crippling for Spanish Speakers

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