1
as in paralyzes
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
the malfunctioning of a single component can incapacitate the engine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cripples
to cause severe or permanent injury to
the stroke left her completely incapacitated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incapacitates
Lorenzo confronts and incapacitates Pepe, Sonia’s main ally, before facing Sonia herself.
—
Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incapacitates
Verb
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For example, the curare plant poisons used by South and Central American hunters paralyzes the respiratory system.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Turning his challenge into a mission and helping others overcome what paralyzes them.—
Isabella Kunde,
CBS News,
2 Dec. 2025
Verb
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These pressures could produce a tsunami that fractures the state’s fiscal foundation, self-inflicts a crisis ultimately demanding drastic cuts, and cripples its competitiveness.—
Andrew Rein,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Scarface and friends attack the lab, and break out the kryptonite that cripples El and Kali.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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This not only undermines local public media but also calls into question the wisdom of isolating Arkansas from a national network and associated resources that serve millions.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Jan. 2026
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Chronic stress keeps the nervous system stuck in a fight-or-flight state that quietly undermines physical progress before a workout even begins.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One of the biggest barriers to drones is electronic warfare, which disables drones by severing their connection with the user.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Dec. 2025
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Two buttons control volume, and a third above them disables the microphone and camera.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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California law already criminalizes unsafe gun storage in certain situations, including when a child accesses a firearm and injures or kills someone.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
29 Dec. 2025
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In self-defense, Franck's group injures one of the attackers.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Nov. 2025
Verb
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What once killed campaigns now barely wounds them.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Even with all of them in place, Shirley misses the masked attacker sneaking his way up to the apartment door, and Lamb’s attempt to blind him with bleach creates a chaotic struggle that wounds the assailant without containing him.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incapacitates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incapacitates. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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