amputate

as in to sever
medical to remove (part of a person's body) His arm was badly injured and had to be amputated.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 amputate Once Dove was strong enough and was no longer anemic, she was cleared for surgery to have the broken leg amputated. Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025 Complications also arose for Alexis just a few years after her tumor was removed when her leg was amputated after her internal prosthetic leg failed. Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2025 Adela was treated by Ventura City Fire Department officials on the scene and then transported to the Ventura County Medical Center, where surgeons ultimately determined that her right arm needed to be amputated just below the shoulder. Toria Sheffield, People.com, 17 Aug. 2025 Unlike humans, apple snails can regrow their peepers if they are injured or amputated. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for amputate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amputate
Verb
  • One month before a worker severed part of his finger at a food packaging plant owned by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, federal regulators ordered the company to make sure equipment couldn't turn on unexpectedly and injure employees, records show.
    Mary Spicuzza, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Magrath testified that this very bullet severed the great artery leading from Berardelli’s heart – testimony that would help seal Sacco’s fate, eventually sending both defendants to the electric chair.
    Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • By Wednesday, Kimmel’s bosses at ABC—owned by Disney—decided to yank him without a definite return date.
    Philip Elliott, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Former Cincinnati Reds star Zack Cozart on Wednesday cheered Disney’s decision to yank comedian Jimmy Kimmel off the air after controversial comments about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Amputate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amputate. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on amputate

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!