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 Many department policies tell officers to move out of the way of a vehicle rather than shoot because of the potential harm to bystanders who could be struck by unintended gunfire or by a careening vehicle if the driver is incapacitated. — ABC News, 14 July 2026 Last August, Parithad was catapulted into the position of CEO, after a court deemed Chuchat legally incapacitated. — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 13 July 2026 The driver hits Leatherface in the head with a wrench, incapacitating him long enough for the driver to run away and Sally to jump into the cab of a passing pickup truck. — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026 There's an apocryphal story about its creations; supposedly Kryptonite was invented so Superman's voice actor Bud Collyer could take vacations while the Man of Steel was incapacitated. — James Grebey, Time, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incapacitate
  1. paralyze
  2. cripple
  3. undermine
  4. injure
  5. maim
  6. wound
  7. disable
  8. kill
Verb
  • Vaccines Are Victims Of Their Own Success Most parents have not seen a child permanently paralyzed by polio or struggling to breathe from diphtheria.
    — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • But as anyone who’s stared at a wall of swatches well knows, choosing the right shade can feel paralyzing.
    — Kelly Dawson, Architectural Digest, 31 July 2026
Definition of paralyze
Verb
  • The new film takes its cue from a once-promising novelist crippled by writer’s block who reconnects with his estranged college roommate, now a wealthy tech entrepreneur, in hopes of finding inspiration for his next book.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 July 2026
  • The tragic twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 laid bare the dire state of the country’s health system, crippled by years of economic crisis, government mismanagement and the migration of medical workers.
    — Alfie Pannell, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Definition of cripple
Verb
  • But the party’s past debates over crime and safety threaten to undermine that pitch.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
  • Future plots to imprison a critic of the MAGA movement might not be undermined by a loudmouth president who can’t help but give away the scheme.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of undermine
Verb
  • More than 90 firefighters have been injured in Gironde, the prefecture said.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
  • Cal Fire said two firefighters were injured while battling the blaze.
    — Jason Green, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
Definition of injure
Verb
  • He was previously charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (scissors) and assault with intent to maim, and he was convicted of arson.
    — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 24 July 2026
  • Even in 2026, the category’s identity is anchored in infamous scenes of maiming, torture, and cathartic bloodshed.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 22 July 2026
Definition of maim
Verb
  • In the Udmurt Republic further northwest, three civilians died and two more were wounded in a Ukrainian drone strike, according to acting regional head Olga Abramova.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Peshawar, PakistanAP — A suicide bomber targeted protesters at an antimilitant rally in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, killing at least 14 people, mostly civilians and police officers, and wounding more than two dozen others, officials said.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of wound
Verb
  • Tim Hawkins as saying that American forces disabled the M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman after the ship attempted to run the blockade at least four times.
    — Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 25 July 2026
  • In this instance, those cyber guardrails were disabled to properly measure its performance.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 24 July 2026
Definition of disable
Verb
  • Lindsay Clancy’s lawyers don’t dispute that the former labor and delivery nurse killed the children.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Did the dragon scale that Aegon took and later killed a man with use some kind of blood magic to resurrect the dragon?
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 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 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on incapacitate

Nglish: Translation of incapacitate for Spanish Speakers

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