Synonym Chooser

How is the word disable distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of disable are cripple, debilitate, enfeeble, sap, undermine, and weaken. While all these words mean "to lose or cause to lose strength or vigor," disable suggests bringing about impairment or limitation in a physical or mental ability.

disabled by an injury sustained at work

When might cripple be a better fit than disable?

While the synonyms cripple and disable are close in meaning, cripple implies causing a serious loss of functioning power through damaging or removing an essential part or element.

crippled by arthritis

When is debilitate a more appropriate choice than disable?

The meanings of debilitate and disable largely overlap; however, debilitate suggests a less marked or more temporary impairment of strength or vitality.

the debilitating effects of surgery

When could enfeeble be used to replace disable?

Although the words enfeeble and disable have much in common, enfeeble implies a condition of marked weakness and helplessness.

enfeebled by starvation

How are the words undermine and sap related as synonyms of disable?

Both undermine and sap suggest a weakening by something working surreptitiously and insidiously.

a poor diet undermines your health
drugs had sapped his ability to think

When is it sensible to use weaken instead of disable?

While in some cases nearly identical to disable, weaken may imply loss of physical strength, health, soundness, or stability or of quality, intensity, or effective power.

a disease that weakens the body's defenses

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disable Since alopecia is a socially disabling condition, being naturally bald in public can feel like a radical statement. Essence, 24 Sep. 2025 Discord’s most recent transparency report said that the company had disabled 36,966 accounts in the first half of 2024 for promoting violent and graphic content or extremism. Kevin Collier, NBC news, 24 Sep. 2025 McCool said the network could have been used to disable cell phone towers, disrupt emergency communications, and shut down the city's cellular networks. N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025 The attack disabled automatic check-in systems for passengers, causing significant delays. Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disable
Verb
  • Such a finding could’ve crippled the operations of Google, Meta and X, among various others.
    Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Given the right series of chances, players could potentially construct a build that blasts thunder and chains together static strikes that will cripple entire rooms of foes at once.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Was Gerry Bertier really paralyzed?
    Jessica Booth, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
  • New York — Government shutdowns can be political earthquakes that paralyze Washington, DC.
    Matt Egan, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • One caller said a delta-8 gummy incapacitated their adult son for several hours.
    Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Lorenzo confronts and incapacitates Pepe, Sonia’s main ally, before facing Sonia herself.
    Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The journalists' arrests sparked outrage among free press advocates, who say the prosecutions undermine First Amendment freedoms and have called for prosecutors to drop the misdemeanor charges.
    Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Oct. 2025
  • But solar advocates pushed back, warning that the changes would lengthen payback periods, discourage solar investment and undermine clean energy goals adopted by cities like Boise.
    Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Police in England said one of the two Jewish community members killed and one of the victims injured during an attack at a synagogue on Yom Kippur are now believed to have been struck by police gunfire as officers tried to stop the attacker.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The kids associate helicopters with life flights to the local hospital, a sign that someone has been seriously injured, Cornelison said.
    John Wisely, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • For investors, even opposition threats of repeal weaken confidence by raising doubts about long-term policy stability.
    Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • While his core supporters remain loyal, sustained disapproval among the broader public could weaken his leverage in negotiations with Congress and erode confidence in his leadership.
    Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Disable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disable. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on disable

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