as in damages
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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Recent Examples of impairs
Lead impairs cognition and cadmium harms the kidneys.
—
Anton L. Delgado, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
About 6 million Americans had opioid use disorder — a problematic pattern of opioid use that significantly impairs or distresses a patient — as of 2022, according to the CDC.
—Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
Studies show that water loss of less than 1% impairs your memory and attention.
—Teresa Maalouf, Verywell Health, 23 Apr. 2026
The National Sleep Foundation concluded there isn’t enough evidence to confirm that blue light from screens before bed reliably impairs adult sleep.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve.
—Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026
If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve.
—Southern California Weather Report, Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Researchers believe the cave’s poor lighting impairs the spiders’ vision, creating an unlikely truce between the species.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
Anton L. Delgado, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
About 6 million Americans had opioid use disorder — a problematic pattern of opioid use that significantly impairs or distresses a patient — as of 2022, according to the CDC.
—Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
Studies show that water loss of less than 1% impairs your memory and attention.
—Teresa Maalouf, Verywell Health, 23 Apr. 2026
The National Sleep Foundation concluded there isn’t enough evidence to confirm that blue light from screens before bed reliably impairs adult sleep.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve.
—Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026
If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve.
—Southern California Weather Report, Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Researchers believe the cave’s poor lighting impairs the spiders’ vision, creating an unlikely truce between the species.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impairs
Verb
-
Mercury damages the nervous system.—
Anton L. Delgado,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Antisemitism weakens trust, corrodes pluralism and damages the social fabric on which diverse communities depend.—
Laurence Milstein,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This storyline later appeared in the second season of Girls, as Dunham’s character Hannah is overwhelmed with the anxiety of writing a novel and similarly injures herself.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 2026
-
In her desperation to ask Val for a job on the new sitcom, Sharon falls and injures herself.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
No sadness mars the purity of its paranoia.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
However, an earnestness mars most of the proceedings.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That inconsistency weakens the institution, erodes public trust, and leaves voters increasingly frustrated with both parties.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
-
The anti-diversity law weakens community expression.—
Jon Harris Maurer,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The author takes an overnight Amtrak journey instead of a flight to Washington as the government shutdown cripples Atlanta’s airport.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
These pressures could produce a tsunami that fractures the state’s fiscal foundation, self-inflicts a crisis ultimately demanding drastic cuts, and cripples its competitiveness.—
Andrew Rein,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Critics argue that approach undermines job stability and erodes workers’ rights by limiting access to benefits tied to salaries.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
-
Referencing Gandhi's observation that life is one indivisible whole, Esposito argues that a broken home life bleeds into workplace performance, while a struggling community erodes the stability of every family within it.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And that’s why this one hurts differently.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
That ultimately hurts workers, small businesses, and the broader economy.—
Steve Hilton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Yet the current system for training young athletes compromises that very goal.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Quality over quantity The perception that recycled cotton compromises quality is increasingly being disproven by innovation and real-world products, according to Laura Vicaria, Denim Deal program director.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impairs. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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