as in severing
medical
to remove (part of a person's body)
His arm was badly injured and had to be amputated.
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Recent Examples of amputating
Cassie’s life is changing all the time, while her husband, Nate Jacobs, is stuck in a finger-amputating Groundhog Day.
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 May 2026
The suit says that Cantrell was eventually transferred to Oregon Health & Science University hospital, where doctors immediately recognized his condition as life-threatening, stabilized him and performed multiple surgeries, including amputating his arm up to his shoulder.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 12 May 2026
Before his death, attempts had been made to save Abrahams by amputating his leg, ITV reported.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
The main characters, who wake up chained to pipes, quickly realize amputating their own foot is the only means of escape.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
What to know about California’s new claw law Declawing a cat involves cutting and amputating the first joint of a cat’s paw — essentially removing the toe, according to the San Francisco SPCA.
—Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 May 2026
The suit says that Cantrell was eventually transferred to Oregon Health & Science University hospital, where doctors immediately recognized his condition as life-threatening, stabilized him and performed multiple surgeries, including amputating his arm up to his shoulder.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 12 May 2026
Before his death, attempts had been made to save Abrahams by amputating his leg, ITV reported.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
The main characters, who wake up chained to pipes, quickly realize amputating their own foot is the only means of escape.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
What to know about California’s new claw law Declawing a cat involves cutting and amputating the first joint of a cat’s paw — essentially removing the toe, according to the San Francisco SPCA.
—Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amputating
Verb
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Tang said this can be attributed to the fact that a doctor is severing a blood vessel that is situated between the uterus and the ovary.—
Sandra Rose Salathe,
Flow Space,
15 May 2026
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That department is severing ties with those 14 club teams, which UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said also include men’s crew, cycling, equestrian, gymnastics, kickline, polo, running, sailing, ski, tap and woodsmen.—
Katie Servas,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The lifeguard pursued me in a gray metal dinghy with a bullhorn, ordering me out of the water and yanking me up over the side of his boat.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
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Essentially, yanking gravity away is another tool, just like temperature or pressure, that drug manufacturers can apply to improve their products.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Amputating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amputating. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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