1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

maims

verb

present tense third-person singular of maim
as in cripples
to cause severe or permanent injury to on-the-job accidents maim far too many workers every year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 maims Penal Code 597 states that any person who who maliciously and intentionally maims, mutilates, tortures, or wounds a living animal is guilty of a crime. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2026 The attack only maims Aegon, who is left bedridden and unable to walk on his own. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 20 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maims
  1. cripples
  2. incapacitates
  3. injures
  4. wounds
  5. disables
  6. kills
Verb
  • Federal illegality further cripples operations with banking and tax burdens.
    — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
  • In the final version of the film, Furiosa captures Dementus, cripples him, brings him back to the Citadel.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026
Definition of cripples
Verb
  • The Martian tells the story of astronaut Mark Watney, who becomes stranded on Mars after a dust storm incapacitates him.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 28 May 2026
  • Lorenzo confronts and incapacitates Pepe, Sonia’s main ally, before facing Sonia herself.
    — Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
Definition of incapacitates
Verb
  • This pest injures the host plant by using its piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Travel could require boarding or pet-sitting expenses, while a dog that damages property or injures someone could create potential liability issues.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of injures
Verb
  • Penal Code 597 states that any person who who maliciously and intentionally maims, mutilates, tortures, or wounds a living animal is guilty of a crime.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The kitchen wounds him, heals him, and becomes his crucible of faith.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 29 July 2026
Definition of wounds
Verb
  • The sole survivor disables HAL by disconnecting the power source.
    — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Operating anywhere near the bottom effectively disables the reserve due to a hard legal stop and the loss of emergency flow rates.
    — Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of disables
Verb
  • Its bubbling action lifts dirt, kills bacteria, and removes mold and mildew without harsh fumes.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Lizzie subsequently kills Manchester with a hatchet, with Maggie present, before the pair turn their attention to Andrew and Abby.
    — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of kills

Browse Nearby Words

maiming
maims
main
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Maims.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maims. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All