1
as in to paralyze
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
the malfunctioning of a single component can incapacitate the engine
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2
as in to cripple
to cause severe or permanent injury to
the stroke left her completely incapacitated
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incapacitate
The biggest development was the discovery of an audio signal Regan could use to incapacitate the monsters.
—
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
The vessel is decked out with everything from a hyper-precise sonar system that continuously scans the seabed to a Deadman’s Switch that forces automatic ascent if the pilot is incapacitated.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2026
Fortunately, Future Nick has also come armed with a plan to stop it, the first step of which is to incapacitate Present Nick (Vaughn plays both).
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026
The defendant at the trial, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, argued that its policy covered only losses resulting from a medically verified, incapacitating illness.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
The vessel is decked out with everything from a hyper-precise sonar system that continuously scans the seabed to a Deadman’s Switch that forces automatic ascent if the pilot is incapacitated.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2026
Fortunately, Future Nick has also come armed with a plan to stop it, the first step of which is to incapacitate Present Nick (Vaughn plays both).
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026
The defendant at the trial, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, argued that its policy covered only losses resulting from a medically verified, incapacitating illness.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incapacitate
Verb
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The standoff has paralyzed one of the council’s most consequential bodies and left a growing backlog of zoning proposals in limbo as the committee reviews zoning changes required to begin construction projects of all kinds across the city.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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In May 2024, a cyberattack paralyzed many of the organization’s digital resources, affecting electronic medical records systems, prescriptions and refills, credit card payments, processing of electronic lab and radiology orders and access to its patient portal online.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The effective closure of the strait has led to major disruptions to the world’s energy flows, sending oil prices above $100 per barrel and threatening to cripple many economies that rely on energy from the Middle East.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
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Ten feet of flooding would cripple highways along Manhattan’s edges and damage vital infrastructure, including transit links to the airports.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Long-range drone and missile strikes have been a key element of the conflict as both Kyiv and Moscow seek to degrade the other's economy and undermine their ability to prosecute and fund the ongoing war.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
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However, those efforts could be undermined by a recent increase in 2-year yields that threatens to compress excess spreads, according to Bank of America.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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No people were injured, but a resident's cat died in the fire.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
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They were normally injured, inferior and underachieving.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Miraculously, although some of his passengers may have sustained mild injuries, not a single one was maimed or killed.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Israel is in shambles with probably large casualties, dead and maimed.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Four people were wounded after someone opened fire during a street takeover in the San Gabriel Valley, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
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In a 40-minute phone call late Thursday, a Hezbollah field commander told NPR how he was wounded in Israel's vast bombardment of Beirut a day earlier, which killed more than 350 people, according to Lebanese authorities.—
Lauren Frayer,
NPR,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.—
Mano Sundaresan,
Pitchfork,
7 Apr. 2026
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Officers deployed a spike strip to disable the vehicle, which subsequently was involved in three minor vehicle collisions while trying to evade police.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The day the truce was announced, Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes, killing more than 300 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Several bills to increase restrictions have already been killed this legislative session, with a single measure to digitize reports still alive.—
Thomas Heaton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incapacitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incapacitate. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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