1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
the debilitation that all the prisoners of war had experienced during their captivity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weakness
the quality or state of lacking physical strength or vigor
attributed the patient's general debilitation to an iron deficiency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debilitation
Nobody wants to watch a loved one endure the pain, debilitation, and loss of independence that can follow a serious fall.
—
Brian Frost, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
In New Jersey, lawmakers are considering a bill to amend a state law that allows parents to nominate standby, or temporary, guardians in the cases of death, incapacity, or debilitation.
—CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
In New Jersey, lawmakers are considering a bill to amend a state law that allows parents to nominate standby, or temporary, guardians in the cases of death, incapacity, or debilitation.
—Kff Health News, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026
Those citing such ominous scenarios envisioned other possible dangers, including the debilitation of America’s security guarantees to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf oil exporters.
—Paul Blustein, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Brian Frost, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
In New Jersey, lawmakers are considering a bill to amend a state law that allows parents to nominate standby, or temporary, guardians in the cases of death, incapacity, or debilitation.
—CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
In New Jersey, lawmakers are considering a bill to amend a state law that allows parents to nominate standby, or temporary, guardians in the cases of death, incapacity, or debilitation.
—Kff Health News, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026
Those citing such ominous scenarios envisioned other possible dangers, including the debilitation of America’s security guarantees to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf oil exporters.
—Paul Blustein, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitation
Noun
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Scientists at the University of South Alabama observed that mice on a high-salt diet experienced rapid deterioration in their blood vessel function.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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One is instantaneous, the brain just flips into unrecognizable thoughts, and the other is a deterioration over time.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some analysts have raised alarms about how weakness in a key node of the web, like OpenAI, could set off a chain reaction that could threaten the entire AI ecosystem.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
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Prior to his senior year, Maloney worked extremely hard to correct his weakness.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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It is anticipated that supervisors will attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of voters, by pretending this measure is a new implementation of term limits instead of a weakening of term limits.—
John Franklin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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The weakening is mainly attributed to climate change, according to Elipot, speaking in a podcast interview with USA TODAY.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s a deeper exhaustion here that can’t be ignored.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
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It was determined Megan had suffered from extreme exhaustion, dehydration, vasoconstriction, and low metabolic levels.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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His trajectory is one of softening, from the swaggering knight of the opening to the irrepressible lover of the second act to his final physical debility.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2026
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In Will There Ever Be Another You, the main character struggles with an illness similar to long COVID, descending into a state of debility and psychosis as readers experience the chaos of her unraveling life.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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When Elias Manolis started experiencing extreme fatigue early last year, his parents were alarmed, but not surprised.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
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Pain, fatigue, medication schedules, and appointments start to shape everything.—
Ana Jarzin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debilitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitation. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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