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
One punch by Harrison Ford's terrifying Red Hulk is enough to outright incapacitate Wilson for good.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Safety features such as Maximum Depth Protection, which prevents the sub from descending beyond its 300-meter (1,000-foot) depth limit, and the Deadman’s Switch (which a passenger can trigger to automatically ascend if the pilot is incapacitated) give some sense of the technology behind the design.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 22 Jan. 2025
The oligarchs are counting on Vance to become president when Trump is incapacitated or dies in office, or clings to power beyond 2028 and turns power over to Vance.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 29 Jan. 2025
The legal arrangement is typically approved to provide short-term care and protection for someone who is incapacitated and needs help managing their health care, personal finances and day-to-day needs, typically for up to 90 days.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Safety features such as Maximum Depth Protection, which prevents the sub from descending beyond its 300-meter (1,000-foot) depth limit, and the Deadman’s Switch (which a passenger can trigger to automatically ascend if the pilot is incapacitated) give some sense of the technology behind the design.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 22 Jan. 2025
The oligarchs are counting on Vance to become president when Trump is incapacitated or dies in office, or clings to power beyond 2028 and turns power over to Vance.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 29 Jan. 2025
The legal arrangement is typically approved to provide short-term care and protection for someone who is incapacitated and needs help managing their health care, personal finances and day-to-day needs, typically for up to 90 days.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incapacitate
Verb
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Leaders who excel at leading through crisis understand the importance of focusing on what is actionable rather than being paralyzed by uncertainty.—
Scott Hutcheson,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
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And yet much like the Democrats paralyzed by the chaos at home, the last three days have exceeded their worst nightmares.—
Zachary Basu,
Axios,
15 Feb. 2025
Verb
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About six weeks ago, hackers crippled the computer systems of the TV and mobile phone provider Dish Network.—
Shira Ovide,
Washington Post,
4 Apr. 2023
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Oakland Mills Coach: Chris Brewington Last season: Class 2A state champion Outlook: Losing the talent Oakland Mills did from last year’s outdoor season would cripple most programs, but the Scorpions have reloaded.—
Anthony Maluso,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Mar. 2023
Verb
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This feels eerily similar to when Trump cut a deal with the Taliban while excluding the Afghan government—undermining their legitimacy and paving the way for disaster.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
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But the meeting itself provided legitimacy to far-right politicians pushing for a Christian state and undermined U.S. foreign policy, experts and officials said.—
Brett Murphy,
ProPublica,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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None of the 60 employees inside SPS Technologies, which manufactures fasteners mainly for the aerospace industry, was injured after explosions set off the fire.—
Saleen Martin,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
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The small explosion by the device, which appeared to be a pipe filled with gunpowder, injured two people in the hall in Wakayama, a port city south of Osaka.—
Martin Fackler,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Each shell scatters as many as 88 grenade-sized submunitions, and can kill and maim infantry across a wide area.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
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Siegfried is very worried that Tristan has been thrown out of the army or is maimed or something horrible has happened.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
26 Jan. 2025
Verb
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According to his indictment, Davis orchestrated Shakur’s murder and provided the .40-caliber Glock that also wounded Knight, who was driving Shakur down the famed Vegas strip.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
16 Feb. 2025
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It’s anchored by an actress, Marion Cotillard, who has one of the great faces, and a classical sophistication with a glamorous, out-of-reach noirish beauty that pairs wonderfully with a creature cut out of Hans Christian Andersen: amorous, elusive, but wounded.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The woman then tried to escape, but the man trapped her by shooting and disabling her car, according to troopers.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2025
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Accessing the Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down keys requires disabling Num Lock, and there's no function-lock feature to prioritize the F1 through F12 keys.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The dismissals come less than three weeks after a midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter killed 67 people and brought new scrutiny to air traffic controllers and their workloads.—
Joey Garrison,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
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Train hoppers can and do get injured or even killed.—
Manuela López Restrepo,
NPR,
17 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incapacitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incapacitate. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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