as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of debilitate
The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Dustin revealed to his friend just how debilitating his grief has been.
—Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
Cramped, about living with debilitating period pain, is funny, educational, and at times enraging.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
Teenagers and adults, while less likely to die, can experience weeks of debilitating coughing that disrupts school, work, and daily life, says Nachman.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitate
Verb
The most consistent link, Whelan said, is with Crohn’s disease — an often-debilitating inflammatory bowel disease that causes abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue and weight loss.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Dustin revealed to his friend just how debilitating his grief has been.
—Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
Cramped, about living with debilitating period pain, is funny, educational, and at times enraging.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
Teenagers and adults, while less likely to die, can experience weeks of debilitating coughing that disrupts school, work, and daily life, says Nachman.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitate
Verb
-
When leaders visibly adjust decisions based on input, silence weakens.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Wet wipes contain alcohol and chemicals that strip natural oils, damage materials like leather, and weaken shoe adhesives.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Footage of the bunker’s deterioration has attracted global attention after Robinson and Charlton began posting videos online.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Jan. 2026
-
It is intended to slow the deterioration of streets that currently are in good condition, which is considered vital to improving the overall condition of San Diego’s network of roads, according to the city.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
If the Nasdaq 100 sees further weakness ahead of megacap technology companies’ earnings, the QQQ could rapidly slide to about 580, according to Jay Woods, chief market strategist at Freedom Capital Markets.—
Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
20 Jan. 2026
-
In theory, that weakness could be an opening for a president to muscle Congress into codifying parts of his agenda.—
Yuval Levin,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Speaking with reporters before heading to Switzerland, the president showed no sign of softening his approach to the Greenland issue.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
21 Jan. 2026
-
These berries often soften after a freeze, too, helping birds survive even during late winter.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Developers are divided about how much this signals a weakening of what has been a scorchingly hot market for new multifamily housing.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Affordability has become a potent political issue, especially with the job market weakening.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Continual self-sacrifice increases the risk of emotional exhaustion, resentment and loss of self-clarity.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Understanding trees as living archives of human breath exhaled in joy, sorrow, elation or exhaustion is deeply meaningful for me.—
Beronda L. Montgomery,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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The shadow of death and debility haunted American women throughout the nineteenth century.—
Jenny Noyce,
JSTOR Daily,
28 June 2024
Noun
-
All of that adds up to headaches, fatigue and body aches that last longer.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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Indeed, exercise in general improves fatigue, energy, and vitality, according to research, so getting in some movement first thing in the morning can do all that.—
Danielle Zickl,
Outside,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitate. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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