as in demoralizing
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Dissimilar Words
as in weakening
to diminish the physical strength of
the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debilitating
Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
Mikells, who has undergone several procedures to address a debilitating but non-life-threatening health issue, is stepping down to focus on her recovery, according to an SEC filing.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025
Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
And people with debilitating conditions aren’t necessarily expecting a miracle drug, said the anonymous Reddit user.
—Sara Talpos — Undark, STAT, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debilitating
Adjective
Or, the first generation simply declined from senescence and the debilitating effects of power long exercised without check.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
Mikells, who has undergone several procedures to address a debilitating but non-life-threatening health issue, is stepping down to focus on her recovery, according to an SEC filing.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
This phase can last for several days and can be debilitating, with vomiting and dry heaving up to five times an hour and requiring emergency room visits.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
And people with debilitating conditions aren’t necessarily expecting a miracle drug, said the anonymous Reddit user.
—Sara Talpos — Undark, STAT, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debilitating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitating
Adjective
-
After a demoralizing six-game losing streak that looked to have ended their playoff chances, the Leafs now appear to have life.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
UConn shot 8-for-15 from 3-point range in the first half to Creighton’s 5-for-10, and went on a demoralizing 10-2 scoring run over the final two minutes of the half to take a 41-30 lead into the break.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the big problem is why the dollar is weakening.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
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Nevertheless, proponents of the theory have suggested without evidence that the substation’s electromagnetic fields could be damaging players’ soft tissues and weakening their tendons.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
-
By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Williams did not explicitly mention tennis, or any sport, in her Super Bowl advert for Ro, but her focus on movement and wellbeing in the context of her softening position on the possibility of a comeback was striking.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
On most prestige shows, a friendship between two women from disparate backgrounds would serve as an emotional anchor, softening both characters.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Grand Luna has an unprecedented high-frequency extension that goes as high as 30kHz, while remaining smooth, non-fatiguing, and eliminating harshness or sibilance thanks to Campfire’s acoustic engineering.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Still, investors in tech giants are growing nervous because these firms are essentially exhausting their available capital to fund the infrastructure buildout, according to Luria.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
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But some districts are hitting their ninth snow day of the year, exhausting the stockpile.—
Brooke Muckerman,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Yet seldom is heard a discouraging word when Darnold assesses what happened in New York, Carolina, San Francisco, or Minnesota.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Their status has been diminished by what has — charitably — been a really discouraging decade, featuring two separate relegations.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This low-budget-looking spot was way more successful than the company's previous 2000 Super Bowl ad, the one that bragged about wasting 2 million bucks while showing a monkey dancing on a bucket.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
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When Ali Ansari was 12, living with his family in a single room at his aunt’s house in Woodland Hills, his immigrant mother told him to stop wasting time staring at his phone and try making money with it.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debilitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitating. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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