as in weakening
to diminish the physical strength of
the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in demoralizing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debilitating
Kristina Mani, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2025
Measles, mumps and other vaccine-preventable diseases can cause debilitating and permanent damage.
—Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
Alana Semuels, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
Alex is present as well, but beneath his gregarious personality is deep insecurity and pressure centering on his position at his law firm, his increasingly ballooning debt and a debilitating pain-pill addiction.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitating
Verb
Demanding political litmus tests The third tactic may be the most debilitating within the military itself.
—Kristina Mani, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2025
Measles, mumps and other vaccine-preventable diseases can cause debilitating and permanent damage.
—Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Tamura, who started football at age 6 and played through high school, reported having frequent, debilitating headaches as an adult.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
Alex is present as well, but beneath his gregarious personality is deep insecurity and pressure centering on his position at his law firm, his increasingly ballooning debt and a debilitating pain-pill addiction.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitating
Verb
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Ocean acidification is weakening the teeth of sharks.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
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The free-trade agenda sought to deregulate the labor market and prioritize market efficiency, strengthening the hands of employers and severely weakening union and social movements, as anti-free traders had predicted.—
Dónal Gill,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The work—in a way, a series of encounters with random elements of one-click consumerism, including coloring books and marketing guides for dentists—is tedious, repetitive, and demoralizing.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
22 Oct. 2025
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The loss was more demoralizing than being held to just 11 rushing yards.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The reading brought a sigh of relief, easing concerns that the economy was facing a double whammy of a softening labor market with reaccelerating inflation.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
24 Oct. 2025
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Truly rotten pumpkins also don't make good toys or feed for wildlife—whether the wildlife around your home or as feed or entertainment for animals at the zoo or local farm—though pumpkins that are just softening are ideal for this role.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In today’s housing market, even the lucky ones often face exhausting ordeals and need to stretch their budgets to land a home.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
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Betelgeuse, formally known as Alpha Orionis, will one day end its life in a spectacular supernova explosion upon exhausting the last of its fuel, which could be as bright as the full moon.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Grand Luna has an unprecedented high-frequency extension that goes as high as 30kHz, while remaining smooth, non-fatiguing, and eliminating harshness or sibilance thanks to Campfire’s acoustic engineering.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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See below for the best tips from professional cleaners on how to clean your blinds at home easily and efficiently, without wasting your whole day wiping them down.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
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Simply put, the Yankees can find better options for their bullpen, as opposed to wasting a roster spot on Hamilton.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Rams want to go into their bye week with a win after two straight years entering their off week coming off a discouraging loss.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
18 Oct. 2025
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This will be a discouraging experience for you.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debilitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitating. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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