IMPAIRING Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

impairing

verb

present participle of impair

as in damaging

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of already impaired by a crack, the windshield shattered upon impact with the baseball

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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 impairing Researchers found that even a few days of a high-fat diet resembling cheeseburgers and fries disrupted CCK interneurons in the hippocampus, impairing memory. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026 The complete assembly weighs just enough for the Madagascar hissing cockroach, a species favored for cyborg research because of its large size, robustness, and wingless body, to carry without significantly impairing its movement. — New Atlas, 18 July 2026 Noise from a data center in Dowagiac, Michigan, has prompted a class-action lawsuit, with residents saying the noise is impairing their lives. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 17 July 2026 That match carries a 70% probability of performance-impairing heat. — Carlos Roa, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2026 The death was classified as natural, with the pathologist noting that long-term alcohol use can increase the risk of aspiration pneumonia by impairing several of the body's protective reflexes and immune functions. — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026 He was charged last week with impairing or interrupting operation of critical infrastructure facility. — ABC News, 8 June 2026 Abdulrahman Oriyomi, 25, was charged with felony impairing or interrupting operation of a critical infrastructure facility last week and was booked into jail in Harris County, Texas, on Friday, according to court records. — Sneha Dhandapani, CNN Money, 7 June 2026 Oriyomi was subsequently arrested Friday on charges of intentionally impairing or interrupting the operation of a critical infrastructure facility. — Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 7 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impairing

Verb

Engineers can spot a bad move inside a crowded virtual home before the machine risks damaging something or moving too close to a person.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026
Crowds of people—including the relatives of patients—stormed Ituri’s Nyakunde Hospital, throwing stones and damaging its perimeter fence on July 15, according to Reuters.

— Rebecca Schneid, Time, 22 July 2026

Definition of damaging

Verb

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military reportedly struck an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, killing one sailor and injuring another.

— Mike Sheen,Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 27 July 2026
Iran countered that one of its commercial vessels carrying a cargo of iron had been struck, killing one seafarer and injuring three others.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 27 July 2026

Definition of injuring

Verb

To prevent a similar war from happening again, Menelaus scarred her face, permanently marring her famous beauty.

— Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
Lined with live oaks and old-fashioned, busy storefronts, this artsy town on the Gulf of Mexico has no commercial development marring its shoreline.

— Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 16 June 2026

Definition of marring

Verb

Concurrently, the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo faces severe international funding shortfalls, severely compromising surveillance and response capabilities.

— Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026
The milestone clears one of the program’s most important early hurdles and validates a design approach focused on reducing development time and production costs without compromising mission performance.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026

Definition of compromising

Verb

Florida didn’t have the cap space to work out the shorter term deal without crippling its ability to make other moves this offseason to enhance the roster.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
Eddie Marsan also delivers a sympathetic turn as the sad sack dad worn down by the effects of capitalism and sometimes crippling OCD.

— Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026

Definition of crippling

Verb

Or would that strategy end up weakening the forces tasked with holding the line against Russia?

— Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
Sleep deprivation makes leaders less perceptive and human, weakening their presence and effectiveness with people, whereas quality sleep is essential for fostering authentic, influential leadership.

— Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of weakening

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impairing

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“Impairing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impairing. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of impairing

verb

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