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
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
While the name suggests something far more trivial, significant damage to the ligaments of the metatarsophalangeal joint can be incapacitating.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 15 Sep. 2025
By setting up permissions in advance, the agent (individual with the power to act on behalf of someone else) can step in immediately if the account owner is incapacitated.
—Kristin McKenna, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
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
While the name suggests something far more trivial, significant damage to the ligaments of the metatarsophalangeal joint can be incapacitating.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 15 Sep. 2025
By setting up permissions in advance, the agent (individual with the power to act on behalf of someone else) can step in immediately if the account owner is incapacitated.
—Kristin McKenna, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incapacitate
Verb
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Shortly after Henry’s death, Augusta suffered two paralyzing strokes, intensifying her and Ed’s isolated, co-dependent relationship before her death in 1945.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
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The family is reeling from the tragedy as Kinzely has been paralyzed from the neck down, her family said in a GoFundMe set up to assist with Kayleb's funeral and medical assistance for the surviving children.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Its lackluster response allowed Israel to cripple the Axis of Resistance, batter Hezbollah in September and October 2024, position itself to aid in the fall of the Assad regime in December, then directly strike Iran in June, killing dozens of top leaders.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Oct. 2025
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The incident highlights how cyberattacks can cripple businesses, resulting in production shortages.—
Senior Reporter,
PC Magazine,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The journalists' arrests sparked outrage among free press advocates, who say the prosecutions undermine First Amendment freedoms and have called for prosecutors to drop the misdemeanor charges.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Oct. 2025
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But solar advocates pushed back, warning that the changes would lengthen payback periods, discourage solar investment and undermine clean energy goals adopted by cities like Boise.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Police in England said one of the two Jewish community members killed and one of the victims injured during an attack at a synagogue on Yom Kippur are now believed to have been struck by police gunfire as officers tried to stop the attacker.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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The kids associate helicopters with life flights to the local hospital, a sign that someone has been seriously injured, Cornelison said.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Irish butter may now an internationally marketable commodity, but in Swift’s day, the Irish peasantry fought back against their replacement by cattle by maiming and driving the unfortunate cattle off cliffs.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Sep. 2025
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More than 260 people were also injured and maimed.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Of the eight people who were wounded and survived the mass shooting and fire Sunday at a Grand Blanc Township church, the first to get treatment at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital was a 6-year-old boy, said the doctor who cared for him.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
Freep.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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More than 200 people were wounded.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
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.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
7 Oct. 2025
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Because fiber-optic drones are harder to produce, they are typically reserved for high-value strikes or for disabling jamming systems to clear the way for cheaper FPVs.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tom is torn between loyalty to his dead wife and love for the estranged son who killed her.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
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How many people did Ed Gein kill in real life?—
JR Radcliffe,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incapacitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incapacitate. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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