as in demoralizing
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Dissimilar Words
as in weakening
to diminish the physical strength of
the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debilitating
Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), even mild cases of measles can be severe and debilitating.
—Doris Alvarez Cea, Florida Times-Union, 4 Feb. 2026
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 12 Mar. 2026
As the cash keeps flowing, the risk of a debilitating crash seems to only be increasing.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debilitating
Adjective
When the cost of that effort became debilitating, vulnerability was prescribed as relief, without the transfer of any real power.
—Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), even mild cases of measles can be severe and debilitating.
—Doris Alvarez Cea, Florida Times-Union, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
At this point, the past few debilitating weeks have sapped the energy of the most chatty members.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 12 Mar. 2026
As the cash keeps flowing, the risk of a debilitating crash seems to only be increasing.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debilitating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitating
Adjective
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On the surface, that defeat should have been demoralizing, but the reality was very different.—
Patrick Snell,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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The demoralizing graffiti marring the main entrance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 360 Lenox Ave.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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If the goal instead is regime weakening—enfeebling the Islamic Republic so the Iranian public could overwhelm it—there are two ways forward.—
Dennis Ross,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
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Weak onshore flows will then return Saturday, which combined with a weakening high pressure system are expected to bring five to 10 degrees of cooling to the coasts and valleys but little change across interior sections, according to the weather service.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
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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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And there was probably some softening that was happening there.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
16 Mar. 2026
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Fresh broccoli florets cook right in the pot with the pasta, softening just enough while keeping a bit of bite.—
Maggie Meyer Glisan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But the most mentally fatiguing aspect, the work found, was having to constantly supervise the AI tools, with some employees overseeing multiple AI agents performing different tasks at the same time.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
12 Mar. 2026
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My friend was in course of opening up his country house unassisted, and after a fatiguing day discovered that the only practical bed was a child’s affair— long enough but scarcely wider than a crib.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Groups usually switch out the lead skier often to avoid exhausting one person.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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As these components segregate over generations, the gene drive becomes less functional, strategy that has been described as a means of developing self-exhausting gene drives that limit geographic distribution.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Ninth-grader Kallan Forsyth said the strict dress code can feel discouraging, but earning sneaker day feels rewarding.—
Alexa Liacko,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
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My own watch party got off to a discouraging start.—
Steven P. Dinkin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Avoid space-wasting moves, such as storing tall bottles on the same shelf as short cocktail tumblers.—
Amy Panos,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Mar. 2026
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The tube is filled with 1 fluid ounce of cream and is capped with a small pump to get the perfect amount of serum—without losing or wasting any precious product.—
Gabriela Izquierdo,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debilitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitating. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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