as in weakens
to diminish the physical strength of
the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitates
Verb
-
Lee was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at age 2, a degenerative disease that gradually weakens muscles.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025 -
Unlike some of the burger chain’s peers, Cramer said McDonald’s has immense scale and strength and is making an effort to lower prices as consumer spending weakens.—
Julie Coleman,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Gently simmer until the garlic softens, about 20 minutes.—
Malaka Gharib,
NPR,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The fabric is washing machine safe and softens with age.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
23 Oct. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Debilitates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitates. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share