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incapacitate

verb

ˌin-kə-ˈpa-sə-ˌtāt How to pronounce incapacitate (audio)
Definition of incapacitatenext
1
as in to paralyze
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move the malfunctioning of a single component can incapacitate the engine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cripple
to cause severe or permanent injury to the stroke left her completely incapacitated

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 incapacitate This is somewhat reassuring since FEMA now appears to be incapacitated. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026 Tasers are designed to incapacitate muscles through pulsed current generated between probes. — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026 Conclusion The world’s deadliest snakes use different biological weapons to incapacitate their victims. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026 Grayson filed for release under the Joe Coleman Act, which applies to incarcerated people who are terminally ill or medically incapacitated. — Ava Kelley, NBC news, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incapacitate
  1. cripple
  2. injure
  3. undermine
  4. maim
  5. wound
  6. disable
  7. kill
Verb
  • Then, after becoming Trojans AD in August 2010, he was tasked with moving the athletic department past crippling NCAA sanctions.
    — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Young men and women went overseas, on orders of presidents, to try to cripple and kill the enemy and its enablers in foreign lands.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of cripple
Verb
  • Saudi officials said debris from a Houthi drone also killed one civilian and injured others.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Having not been injured in the collision, the truck driver remained on the scene in the wake of the crash, police said.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of injure
Verb
  • Later’s 2026 research on Gen-Z creator ROI found that trust and authentic creator relationships matter more to conversions than simply maximizing reach, while over-scripting creators can undermine that trust.
    — Sergi Cerrato, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • After that report, and Warsh's tough talk on inflation late last month, most economists argue that Warsh will have to hike rates or risk undermining his credibility with financial markets.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of undermine
Verb
  • That’s how this season starts, and Reacher’s methods of maiming and/or killing only get more elaborate.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Men routinely fall off buildings, get electrocuted, crushed or maimed.
    — Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of maim
Verb
  • Among those killed and wounded were police officers attending prayers at the mosque.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Casualties tallied by the Pentagon have included 18 dead and more than 830 wounded, according to the Defense Casualty Analysis System.
    — Ben Finley, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of wound
Verb
  • The post did not include a caption and comments were disabled.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • When Urich was young, his father suffered a disabling stroke; Netanyahu became a father figure to him.
    — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of disable
Verb
  • Saudi officials said debris from a Houthi drone also killed one civilian and injured others.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
  • For the most part, garlic grows best if it’s planted about a week or two after the first killing frost in the fall, followed by exposure to several months of cool weather before the spring season starts.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of kill

Browse Nearby Words

incapably
incapacitate
incapacitated
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Cite this Entry

“Incapacitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incapacitate. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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