1
as in to incapacitate
to cause severe or permanent injury to
the car crash may have crippled two people for life
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2
as in to injure
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
the collision so severely crippled the ship that it had to be towed into port
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3
as in to paralyze
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
a wave of strikes crippled that nation's steel industry
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cripple
That crippled Huawei’s smartphone brand, once one of the world’s biggest.
—
Joe McDonald, ajc, 9 Mar. 2023
Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared, and hospitals filled with malnourished children.
—Christina Goldbaum, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023
Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared and hospitals filled with malnourished children.
—Yaqoob Akbary Kiana Hayeri, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2023
If nothing is done, this could cripple the ISS.
—Kay Bailey Hutchison and Jane Harman, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for cripple
Joe McDonald, ajc, 9 Mar. 2023
Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared, and hospitals filled with malnourished children.
—Christina Goldbaum, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023
Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared and hospitals filled with malnourished children.
—Yaqoob Akbary Kiana Hayeri, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2023
If nothing is done, this could cripple the ISS.
—Kay Bailey Hutchison and Jane Harman, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for cripple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cripple
Verb
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With a range of up to 30 feet, pepper-spray balls are made of plastic that breaks on impact to release a chemical irritant intended to stun or incapacitate somebody.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
11 June 2025
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You could be incapacitated or unable to act on your own but still need someone to make important decisions for you.—
Jim Wang,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
Verb
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Federal officials said one immigration agent was injured when a rock shattered his vehicle’s windshield, and the U.S. Marshals Service reported arrests for obstructing operations, according to the Times.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2025
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Russia also targeted the western Lviv and Khmelnytskyi regions, the northern Chernihiv region, and the central Poltava region, where at least three people were injured.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Fear of the unknown, driven by economic instability and geopolitical shifts, can paralyze teams.—
David Meade,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Inflammation from these conditions can paralyze the colon, causing symptoms like bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and fever.—
Janelle McSwiggin,
Health,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Her short centered on two estranged sisters, one of whom is cognitively disabled, who must learn to communicate after their mother’s death.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
5 June 2025
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Officers disabled the vehicle after a high-speed chase through Mountain Home and on I-84, the release said.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Her older brother, a successful economist, and her sister, a government lawyer, have repeatedly warned her that her outspokenness could damage not only her career but theirs.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2025
Verb
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But their deadly design may undermine human health, too.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
5 June 2025
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Overemphasizing uncertainties can be used to raise doubt and unduly undermine confidence in robust findings.—
H. Christopher Frey,
The Conversation,
5 June 2025
Verb
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How many people died on D-Day? On D-Day alone, around 4,440 Allied troops were confirmed dead, according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), with more than 5,800 troops wounded or missing.—
Catherine Nicholls,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
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Another influx of 184 wounded arrived at the Red Cross field hospital June 3, the ICRC said in a statement; 19 were declared dead on arrival, and eight more died of their wounds not long afterwards.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Graffiti marred the exterior of City Hall, an Art Deco landmark built in 1928.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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Signed in 2023 from Fenerbahce in his homeland, Guler’s debut season was marred by injuries.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cripple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cripple. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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