1
as in to cripple
to cause severe or permanent injury to
a promising athlete who was severely disabled in a plane crash
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to paralyze
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
disabled the controls for unauthorized users
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 disable
Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.
—
Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 15 Sep. 2025
Look for options to disable location sharing, limit access by strangers and manage which third-party apps can access your account.
—Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2025
If portions of the page appear blank and an ad blocker is enabled, please disable the ad blocker and refresh the page to ensure full access to the content.
—Austin Mock, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
The crew would indeed appear to be at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, because the Navy wasn’t satisfied with disabling the speedboat with a single powerful strike, but kept bombing it to smithereens after the initial hit.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disable
Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 15 Sep. 2025
Look for options to disable location sharing, limit access by strangers and manage which third-party apps can access your account.
—Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2025
If portions of the page appear blank and an ad blocker is enabled, please disable the ad blocker and refresh the page to ensure full access to the content.
—Austin Mock, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
The crew would indeed appear to be at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, because the Navy wasn’t satisfied with disabling the speedboat with a single powerful strike, but kept bombing it to smithereens after the initial hit.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disable
Verb
-
Killing, Corrupting, and Exiling of Science Under Hitler Widely regarded as the world’s research powerhouse in the 1920s and early 30s, German science was crippled by the Nazis starting in 1933, when Hitler gained power as Chancellor.—
Scott Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Deadly floods in Asia have devastated crops, crippling already fragile food production.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Because her brother is paralyzed after an attack on a Charlotte Area Transit System bus in March.—
Andrew Dys,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Congress does not fail to act on guns because it is paralyzed.—
John J. Donohue,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
By setting up permissions in advance, the agent (individual with the power to act on behalf of someone else) can step in immediately if the account owner is incapacitated.—
Kristin McKenna,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
In addition to grandmaster status, Myers is also a fourth degree in hosinsool, a self-defense technique used to protect, disarm and incapacitate an attacker, focusing on practicality to end a dangerous situation quickly with powerful strikes, locks and take-downs.—
Nicole Stracek,
Twin Cities,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Now, its Supreme Court is moving to hold a former president accountable for allegedly trying to undermine democracy and steer the country back toward authoritarian rule.—
Júlia Dias Carneiro,
NPR,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Failing to meet that obligation undermines not only educational opportunity, but also the sovereignty, economic vitality, and cultural survival of Tribal nations.—
Marybeth Gasman,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The severity, healing and availability of Purdy’s toe will depend heavily on which toe is injured and what specific part of the toe got injured.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Almost certainly out this week also is injured receiver Xavier Worthy (shoulder), who provided most of the scant glimmers of hope in the Super Bowl with eight catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Foreign powers such as Russia and China, which challenge America and its allies from Europe to the Middle East to Taiwan and the South China Sea, have long been accused of exploiting such divisions through disinformation campaigns that inflame tensions and weaken confidence in American governance.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
-
But around the equinoxes, the natural buffer weakens.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disable. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share