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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of disabling
According to police, Cope refused to stop and continued fleeing after troopers attempted a PIT maneuver, disabling one state police patrol vehicle.
—
Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 16 May 2026
More than half of people 75 and older are living with disabling hearing loss.
—Jon Hamilton, NPR, 14 May 2026
The detonation of a nuclear weapon in low-Earth orbit would likely destroy or incapacitate thousands of satellites, disabling critical military and civilian networks providing surveillance and communication services.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026
Only one goal, disabling Iran’s navy, has been achieved.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 11 May 2026
Finally, establishing strict boundaries, like disabling notifications and setting specific usage times, prevents addiction and maintains focus.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
The plan also proposes universal coverage and would create a new benefit for older workers with disabling conditions.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
In addition to severe, disabling headache pain, a migraine can also trigger processes that affect the rest of your body and interfere with normal sensory function.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 30 Apr. 2026
To qualify for the Alsip housing, residents were required to be chronically homeless and have a disabling condition, which Rounds said often prevents them from working or living independently.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 16 May 2026
More than half of people 75 and older are living with disabling hearing loss.
—Jon Hamilton, NPR, 14 May 2026
The detonation of a nuclear weapon in low-Earth orbit would likely destroy or incapacitate thousands of satellites, disabling critical military and civilian networks providing surveillance and communication services.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026
Only one goal, disabling Iran’s navy, has been achieved.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 11 May 2026
Finally, establishing strict boundaries, like disabling notifications and setting specific usage times, prevents addiction and maintains focus.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
The plan also proposes universal coverage and would create a new benefit for older workers with disabling conditions.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
In addition to severe, disabling headache pain, a migraine can also trigger processes that affect the rest of your body and interfere with normal sensory function.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 30 Apr. 2026
To qualify for the Alsip housing, residents were required to be chronically homeless and have a disabling condition, which Rounds said often prevents them from working or living independently.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disabling
Verb
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But, in a separate incident reported by Reuters, it was revealed that Musk did cut service in eastern Ukraine around the same time, crippling a planned Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kherson.—
Ben Tarnoff,
Big Think,
23 Apr. 2026
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Eden outlined how, by crippling universities over charges of antisemitism, McMahon could also achieve larger goals.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Vietnam War and Watergate had spawned a paralyzing sense of national distrust, and New Hollywood had reflected that reality beautifully but pessimistically.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
23 May 2026
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To him, these alliances resemble the tiny Lilliputians trying to bind the giant Gulliver with paralyzing strings.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Tabitha grabs one of the weird, spooky totem things and drives it through the chest of the scarecrow monster attacking Donna, killing it – or at least incapacitating it – and the scarecrows retreat.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
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One of four passengers in Bain’s car, 22-year-old Destiny Betts, suffered incapacitating injuries and was transported to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial from the scene, according to the report.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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War dents Saudi’s efforts to diversify economy The Iran war is undermining Saudi Arabia’s efforts to diversify away from oil, while boosting the kingdom’s oil revenues.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
22 May 2026
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Simply, China has calculated that maintaining this French outpost is more effective for its global energy strategy than undermining French rule.—
Wesley Alexander Hill,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Secret Service officers returned gunfire, wounding the suspect, the sources said, and a bystander was also apparently injured.—
Emma Nicholson,
CBS News,
24 May 2026
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The sources said that somewhere between 10 and 20 shots were fired, and officers returned gunfire, wounding the suspect.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Many new grads will enter a weakening labor market for young workers.—
Jennifer Liu,
CNBC,
24 May 2026
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Eleven Indiana House districts – three of them in Porter County – have been targeted by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and the Indiana House Democratic Caucus as crucial for weakening the Republican supermajority in the Indiana General Assembly.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
Verb
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This was one reason why Qatar left Opec in 2019, damaging the image of a unified Middle Eastern bloc; Angola and Ecuador have also left.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
23 May 2026
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One action delays deadlines for grocers and other companies to phase out the use of climate-damaging hydrofluorocarbons for refrigeration under the 2023 Technology Transitions Rule.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disabling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disabling. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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