1
as in crippling
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 paralyzing
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 disabling
According to police, Cope refused to stop and continued fleeing after troopers attempted a PIT maneuver, disabling one state police patrol vehicle.
—
Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 16 May 2026
More than half of people 75 and older are living with disabling hearing loss.
—Jon Hamilton, NPR, 14 May 2026
The detonation of a nuclear weapon in low-Earth orbit would likely destroy or incapacitate thousands of satellites, disabling critical military and civilian networks providing surveillance and communication services.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026
Only one goal, disabling Iran’s navy, has been achieved.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 11 May 2026
Finally, establishing strict boundaries, like disabling notifications and setting specific usage times, prevents addiction and maintains focus.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
The plan also proposes universal coverage and would create a new benefit for older workers with disabling conditions.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
In addition to severe, disabling headache pain, a migraine can also trigger processes that affect the rest of your body and interfere with normal sensory function.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 30 Apr. 2026
To qualify for the Alsip housing, residents were required to be chronically homeless and have a disabling condition, which Rounds said often prevents them from working or living independently.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 16 May 2026
More than half of people 75 and older are living with disabling hearing loss.
—Jon Hamilton, NPR, 14 May 2026
The detonation of a nuclear weapon in low-Earth orbit would likely destroy or incapacitate thousands of satellites, disabling critical military and civilian networks providing surveillance and communication services.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026
Only one goal, disabling Iran’s navy, has been achieved.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 11 May 2026
Finally, establishing strict boundaries, like disabling notifications and setting specific usage times, prevents addiction and maintains focus.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
The plan also proposes universal coverage and would create a new benefit for older workers with disabling conditions.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
In addition to severe, disabling headache pain, a migraine can also trigger processes that affect the rest of your body and interfere with normal sensory function.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 30 Apr. 2026
To qualify for the Alsip housing, residents were required to be chronically homeless and have a disabling condition, which Rounds said often prevents them from working or living independently.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disabling
Verb
-
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
-
Eden outlined how, by crippling universities over charges of antisemitism, McMahon could also achieve larger goals.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To him, these alliances resemble the tiny Lilliputians trying to bind the giant Gulliver with paralyzing strings.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
11 May 2026
-
These figures can feel abstract, even paralyzing.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
One of four passengers in Bain’s car, 22-year-old Destiny Betts, suffered incapacitating injuries and was transported to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial from the scene, according to the report.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The defendant at the trial, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, argued that its policy covered only losses resulting from a medically verified, incapacitating illness.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
My ongoing efforts entail identifying ways that AI is helping mental well-being, in addition to ways that AI is simultaneously undermining mental well-being, see the link here.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Rivalry between India-China, competing interests of Iran-UAE, and divisions over Russia’s Ukraine war are undermining the alliance’s push to counter Western dominance.—
Sheikh Saaliq,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Ukraine launched one of its largest drone barrages of the war, killing at least three people near Moscow and another in Belgorod and wounding a dozen more, officials said.—
Samya Kullab,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
-
The incident took place last June when officers fired at a vehicle, wounding suspect Eric Chase in the knee.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
That separation is now weakening.—
Ingmar Rentzhog,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
In addition to these external influences, Dini emphasized that long-term domestic instability has left Somalia’s coastline vulnerable, weakening local institutions and lowering the risks for pirate networks.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Here's how to clean a touchscreen without damaging it.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
-
Be sure your mower has a chute blocker and point the chute towards your own property, not the neighbor’s, to avoid making a mess or damaging their cars.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disabling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disabling. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
