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
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Recent Examples of debilitate
Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 24 July 2025
Dear Eric: My 30-year-old son is severely physically disabled due to a debilitating muscle disease.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 31 July 2025
By 15, new symptoms began to appear — including debilitating migraines.
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 28 July 2025
In the early days of the invasion, SpaceX rushed to supply Ukraine with Starlink terminals, helping to replace communications systems debilitated by Russian cyberattacks and advancing troops.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitate
Verb
In his practice, Edmundson said therapists work with people who might not qualify as being disabled but have debilitating conditions that make working difficult.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 24 July 2025
Dear Eric: My 30-year-old son is severely physically disabled due to a debilitating muscle disease.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 31 July 2025
By 15, new symptoms began to appear — including debilitating migraines.
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 28 July 2025
In the early days of the invasion, SpaceX rushed to supply Ukraine with Starlink terminals, helping to replace communications systems debilitated by Russian cyberattacks and advancing troops.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitate
Verb
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This means banana particles can remain between teeth for an extended period, giving bacteria more time to produce acids that weaken tooth enamel.14 6.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
13 Aug. 2025
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For Trump, whose political brand has long relied on projecting authenticity to his base, a sustained decline in honesty ratings could weaken his ability to roll out his agenda.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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By diplomatic standards, the deterioration has been abrupt.—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
14 Aug. 2025
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Other economists — such as those at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc. and UBS Group AG — interpreted the rapid deterioration in hiring more as a sign of weak labor demand, which would push the Fed to commence with rate reductions at its next policy meeting in September.—
Ashley Lutz,
Fortune,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Kindness may sound like a luxury in today’s high-takes, deliver-faster, do more with less, margin-tighter world—or worse, weakness.—
Jason Walker PsyD,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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History shows, however, that strengths can become weaknesses over time, and that is the most dangerous threat looming over these titans.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This multitasking formula from Dermalogica softens and hydrates skin as well as depuffs, brightens, and exfoliates it.—
Esme Benjamin,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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This beloved overnight treatment deeply hydrates and softens dry, flaky lips.—
Nora Colomer
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Between stress, shame, emotional disconnection, the current state of the world being challenging, and just plain exhaustion, desire can come and go.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
5 Aug. 2025
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The exhaustion and boredom is certainly a factor, but these books just aren’t making a strong case for themselves anymore.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The shadow of death and debility haunted American women throughout the nineteenth century.—
Jenny Noyce,
JSTOR Daily,
28 June 2024
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President Biden’s troubles — lingering inflation, wars and rumors of wars, his debility — could have benefited any Republican.—
David Harsanyi,
National Review,
25 Jan. 2024
Noun
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From a physiological point of view, fatigue is associated with a rise in cortisol, the neuromediator that reflects our resilience to emotional or physical stress.—
Mélanie Defouilloy,
Vogue,
6 Aug. 2025
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To be clear, however, your fatigue probably wouldn’t be isolated to mealtimes if this were the case.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitate. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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