1
as in crippling
to cause severe or permanent injury to
a promising athlete who was severely disabled in a plane crash
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in paralyzing
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
disabled the controls for unauthorized users
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disabling
The electricity has gone out several times, disabling the elevators and taking away his ability to get to work.
—
Sydney Franklin, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Nov. 2025
In recent years, scientists have been able to identify many cytokines and create targeted therapies for a host of disabling, sometimes fatal, diseases.
—Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Last month, SpaceX touted disabling over 2,500 Starlink dishes in Myanmar, where organized crime has been exploiting the satellite internet service to conduct online scams across the globe.
—PC Magazine, 3 Nov. 2025
By enabling or disabling layers (layout, markers, heat map) and adjusting layer opacity, users get a clear, customizable view of what’s happening—and where to look next.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Oct. 2025
The first biography of James Schuyler suggests that his tendency to withdraw was both a harbinger of his disabling mood disorder and the wellspring of his shimmering poetry.
—Langdon Hammer, The New York Review of Books, 30 Oct. 2025
Given the disease’s wide range of trajectories and manifestations—from mild and manageable to severely disabling—some now regard it as a group of diseases, rather than a single one.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
It is associated with hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior that impair daily functioning and can be disabling.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Most people recover in about a week, but joint pain can be severe, persistent and disabling in some cases, according to the CDC.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
Sydney Franklin, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Nov. 2025
In recent years, scientists have been able to identify many cytokines and create targeted therapies for a host of disabling, sometimes fatal, diseases.
—Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Last month, SpaceX touted disabling over 2,500 Starlink dishes in Myanmar, where organized crime has been exploiting the satellite internet service to conduct online scams across the globe.
—PC Magazine, 3 Nov. 2025
By enabling or disabling layers (layout, markers, heat map) and adjusting layer opacity, users get a clear, customizable view of what’s happening—and where to look next.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Oct. 2025
The first biography of James Schuyler suggests that his tendency to withdraw was both a harbinger of his disabling mood disorder and the wellspring of his shimmering poetry.
—Langdon Hammer, The New York Review of Books, 30 Oct. 2025
Given the disease’s wide range of trajectories and manifestations—from mild and manageable to severely disabling—some now regard it as a group of diseases, rather than a single one.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
It is associated with hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior that impair daily functioning and can be disabling.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Most people recover in about a week, but joint pain can be severe, persistent and disabling in some cases, according to the CDC.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disabling
Verb
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Since then, they've been forced to work remotely — at a time when the government was doling out return-to-office mandates — preventing access to labs and crippling the center's mission of embedding NASA climate scientists within international academia.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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On December 7, 1941, 353 Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor, killing 2,403 Americans and crippling much of the Pacific Fleet.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In rare cases, the toxin can spread beyond the injection site to other parts of the body, paralyzing or weakening muscles needed for breathing and swallowing.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Their meet-cute involves a pterodactyl, a number of plants that shoot paralyzing needles, and a nest in which Thia has been imprisoned.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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He is accused of slipping incapacitating drugs into victims’ food or drinks before assaulting them between 2021 and 2024.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
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While the name suggests something far more trivial, significant damage to the ligaments of the metatarsophalangeal joint can be incapacitating.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In handing down the sentence, Montenegro said Bonillo understood the scope of his misdeeds, abused his position of trust and used that position to enrich himself while undermining CBP’s main goal.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
-
In late September, a wave carrying debris from a nearby home that had already collapsed slammed into theirs, undermining its foundation.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Nidal Hasan committed a mass shooting at Fort Hood in Texas, killing 13 people and wounding more than 30.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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The most jarring example is the June 20, 2021 massacre in Richmond, where SSL-502 members allegedly opened fire at a house party where people were celebrating the Guatemalan Summer Solstice, killing three and wounding four.—
Harry Harris,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That goes even further than DESI's hints at weakening dark energy.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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The central bank cut its benchmark rate for the second time this year at its most recent meeting, in part to help bolster the economy amid a weakening job market.—
Fortune,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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If your hair is getting snagged while using the brush or seems to be damaging your hair, it should also be replaced.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
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The YouTuber-turned-boxer has been accused by a lot of people of damaging the sport by staging fights that are more bit than boxing.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disabling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disabling. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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