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
Bhusri and Duffield’s agreement also means that if one of the cofounders is incapacitated or dies, the other gets control of both stakes.
—
Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Seeing their tough-as-nails teammates incapacitated on the floor for such an extended period was jarring to the other Spurs.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 11 Feb. 2026
In the first half of the Super Bowl against Cincinnati, Beckham suffered a complete ACL tear and was incapacitated.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The two climbers, 47 and 50 years old, were requesting assistance, saying they were incapacitated and unable to continue their route.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Seeing their tough-as-nails teammates incapacitated on the floor for such an extended period was jarring to the other Spurs.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 11 Feb. 2026
In the first half of the Super Bowl against Cincinnati, Beckham suffered a complete ACL tear and was incapacitated.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The two climbers, 47 and 50 years old, were requesting assistance, saying they were incapacitated and unable to continue their route.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incapacitate
Verb
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Chávez was also 14 when he was shot and paralyzed during a robbery by gang members.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
7 Mar. 2026
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Tanker traffic has ground to a near halt, 20% of global supply has been paralyzed, and the old-world energy order has been shaken.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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By controlling Gaza’s land, air and sea access, Israel has crippled its economy and infrastructure.—
Ken Barnes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
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Perched between China and India, the country of 30 million people has been plagued for decades by political instability, crippling a largely agrarian economy and worsening unemployment – structural issues compounded by rampant corruption.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The remarks, delivered to Standard Bank executives and reported for the first time by Semafor, captured the growing unease among policymakers about how quickly the external shocks can undermine domestic planning, especially for an open, import-dependent economy like South Africa.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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Aleph and other Jewish chaplaincy groups say the chaplaincy system is being undermined by the Messianic movement, whose adherents may identify as Jews but are not recognized as such by any denomination of Judaism.—
Asaf Elia-Shalev,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The conflict has also claimed the lives of seven US soldiers and injured about 140 American troops.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
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At least six people were killed and several others were injured after a passenger bus caught fire Tuesday in western Switzerland, authorities said.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For nearly half a century, Iran has been a thorn in the side of the United States, killing and maiming American soldiers, butchering Israeli citizens, threatening its neighbors and fostering terror around the globe.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Mar. 2026
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Hundreds of American troops were killed or maimed before the Pentagon scrambled to field new armored vehicles built to withstand blasts.—
Steven Beynon,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Four people were shot and wounded inside a Brooklyn bar lounge early Sunday, police said.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
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Lebanon's Health Ministry said at least 41 people were killed and 40 wounded overnight in Nabi Chit and areas nearby.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 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.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026
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In the past three months, several Bay Area cities and municipalities have moved to terminate or disable their contracts with Flock Systems, one of the preeminent vendors of ALPR technology.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The same process happened with the government’s attempt to dismantle the Palestinian Authority in order to kill and bury the hope for Palestinian self-determination.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
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The most recent attack occurred in Virginia at Old Dominion University, when 36-year-old Mohamed Bailor Jalloh opened fire, killing one and injuring two others.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incapacitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incapacitate. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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