CRIPPLING Synonyms: 208 Similar and Opposite Words

crippling 1 of 2

noun

as in harm

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crippling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of cripple

as in incapacitating

to cause severe or permanent injury to the car crash may have crippled two people for life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in damaging

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of the collision so severely crippled the ship that it had to be towed into port

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in paralyzing

to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move a wave of strikes crippled that nation's steel industry

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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 crippling

Noun

The 12-day barrage came on the back of a series of setbacks for Iran’s leaders, including the crippling of its regional allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. — Brian Bennett, Time, 28 Feb. 2026

Verb

Florida didn’t have the cap space to work out the shorter term deal without crippling its ability to make other moves this offseason to enhance the roster. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026 Eddie Marsan also delivers a sympathetic turn as the sad sack dad worn down by the effects of capitalism and sometimes crippling OCD. — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026 Crucially, the strike targeted a critical AVT-6 distillation unit, potentially crippling the refinery's entire 12 million tons/year capacity,. — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 The fall broke both his legs, crippling him. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 14 June 2026 The Ukrainian military sank several Russian warships in the Black Sea and at their Crimean bases, crippling Moscow’s naval capability and forcing it to redeploy its fleet to Novorossiysk. — ABC News, 11 June 2026 However, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller — who lost the recent Republican primary to a candidate backed by Abbott — said the federal response will take too long and risks crippling the cattle industry. — Jeffrey Collins, Fortune, 9 June 2026 Anxiety over ChatGPT and other emerging technology helped derail talks with both unions and the AMPTP in 2023, leading to crippling dual strikes. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 31 May 2026 But, in a separate incident reported by Reuters, it was revealed that Musk did cut service in eastern Ukraine around the same time, crippling a planned Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kherson. — Ben Tarnoff, Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for crippling

Noun

Since the 1970s, the federal government has interpreted harm to include any actions that degrade a species’ habitat, given the necessity of habitat for a species’ survival.

— Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
Veterans and their families can also sue the government for the harm under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022.

— Nicole Borman, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026

Definition of harm

Verb

The driver hits Leatherface in the head with a wrench, incapacitating him long enough for the driver to run away and Sally to jump into the cab of a passing pickup truck.

— Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026
Tabitha grabs one of the weird, spooky totem things and drives it through the chest of the scarecrow monster attacking Donna, killing it – or at least incapacitating it – and the scarecrows retreat.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026

Definition of incapacitating

Verb

Reinforcements dispatched to the scene were ambushed en route, damaging an armored personnel carrier before officers fought back, according to the statement.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
But what if there was another way to block Flock cameras that didn’t involve damaging public property?

— Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 30 July 2026

Definition of damaging

Verb

But his mental anguish is upsetting the balance of his cross-species DNA, first with paralyzing headaches and gradually with an internal battle as his arachnid side starts overpowering his human side.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 July 2026
Airpower should be assessed by the strategic effects it is tasked to achieve—disrupting enemy systems, paralyzing command, destroying key capabilities, etc.

— David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of paralyzing

Noun

The killings were engineered to terrify the remaining Poles into fleeing westward, so extensive documentation was spread of the accompanying torture and mutilation.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 20 June 2026
Based on more than 430 testimonies, thousands of visual records, and years of investigation, the report details rape, torture, mutilation, forced nudity, and sexualized brutality carried out deliberately and systematically.

— Rabbi Josh Weinberg, Sun Sentinel, 2 June 2026

Definition of mutilation

Verb

Powerful solar storms, like the one that hit Earth in January, are capable of disrupting or disabling satellites by interfering with onboard electronics, sensitive instruments and communications systems.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 23 July 2026
Despite a disabling illness, Ettenberg continues expanding these essential tools, ensuring others can dine with confidence.

— Michele Herrmann, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of disabling

Verb

To prevent a similar war from happening again, Menelaus scarred her face, permanently marring her famous beauty.

— Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
Lined with live oaks and old-fashioned, busy storefronts, this artsy town on the Gulf of Mexico has no commercial development marring its shoreline.

— Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 16 June 2026

Definition of marring

Verb

Chronic stress takes a serious toll on the body—accelerating aging, undermining cardiovascular health and degrading your immune and metabolic systems.

— Shefali Raina, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
The strikes are part of Kyiv’s aerial campaign aimed at undermining Russia’s war effort, hurting its economy and making people feel the consequences of the Kremlin’s all-out invasion of Ukraine.

— Dasha Litvinova, Fortune, 24 July 2026

Definition of undermining

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cripples

crippling

cris de coeur

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“Crippling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crippling. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of crippling

noun

verb

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