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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incapacitate
Laser strikes can potentially incapacitate pilots and put thousands of people at risk, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
—
Terry Collins, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Another note that came up in the responses to this question is that everyone, of any age, should make sure that there are plans in place for a friend or relative to take care of the dog if the owner is incapacitated or dies.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 18 Sep. 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel needs to incapacitate Hamas in the city to avoid a repeat of the October 7 attack that ignited the war.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Shining a laser at a commercial aircraft is a federal crime and can incapacitate or temporarily blind pilots.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
Terry Collins, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Another note that came up in the responses to this question is that everyone, of any age, should make sure that there are plans in place for a friend or relative to take care of the dog if the owner is incapacitated or dies.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 18 Sep. 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel needs to incapacitate Hamas in the city to avoid a repeat of the October 7 attack that ignited the war.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Shining a laser at a commercial aircraft is a federal crime and can incapacitate or temporarily blind pilots.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incapacitate
Verb
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Floods, fires, and extreme storms can paralyze entire regions, forcing businesses to shut down while public employees continue to draw wages.—
Ugo Troiano,
Oc Register,
25 Oct. 2025
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics is slated to publish September inflation data on Friday morning, in spite of a government shutdown that has paralyzed federal reporting and has no end in sight.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Despite possessing some of the world’s largest oil reserves, mismanagement and falling global prices have crippled the economy.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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On December 7, 1941, 353 Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor, killing 2,403 Americans and crippling much of the Pacific Fleet.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Each would face cross-examination and difficult questions posed by skilled litigators attempting to undermine their positions.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
23 Oct. 2025
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See video … WATCH TULSI GABBARD – Dem Party is undermining the very foundation of America.—
,
FOXNews.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Earlier, the agency said a man in his 70s was killed by a falling tree in the southern coastal town of Marigot, while five people were injured in the Artibonite region.—
Josh Cradduck,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
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Unless another boy was injured, a boy with a father who resembled me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed and maimed in the war; a United Nations commission said in September that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.—
Matt Bradley,
NBC news,
21 Oct. 2025
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By holding a button, a simple katana suddenly becomes a 10-foot blade, or a rapier sprouts a demolition-grade power drill — all capable of viscerally dismembering and maiming foes.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Silas McCay, 21, Levi Sanders, 18, and a 20-year-old female were also wounded, authorities said.—
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
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Williams shot two, police say, wounding one and killing Comeaux.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Faison then manually disabled his phone and removed the SIM card so his location couldn’t be tracked before going to the park and shooting Fiengo, police said.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
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Beau pointed out that Bash disabled them, and any footage could be altered to appear accidental.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, the demon baby then proceeded to brutally rip apart and kill Teddy, Phil, and Susie, leaving only Lilly and Ronnie alive before the credits rolled.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
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Israel’s offensive in Gaza, launched in response to the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas’s attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and laid waste to swaths of territory.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incapacitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incapacitate. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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