INCAPACITATING Synonyms: 105 Similar and Opposite Words

incapacitating

verb

present participle of incapacitate

as in paralyzing

to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move the malfunctioning of a single component can incapacitate the engine

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as in crippling

to cause severe or permanent injury to the stroke left her completely incapacitated

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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 incapacitating The only way to repair the rift and deal with the incapacitating grief is through art. — James Shapiro, The Atlantic, 1 Dec. 2025 Dysentery and scurvy ravaged the vessel, killing or incapacitating many on board. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 8 Jan. 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 Documentation is required to show incapacitating injury and illness. — Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026 He is accused of slipping incapacitating drugs into victims’ food or drinks before assaulting them between 2021 and 2024. — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025 Larter's Angela has been put through the wringer on the second season of Landman, from getting into an explosive battle with Thornton's Tommy over her period to getting arrested for incapacitating two health inspectors during a visit to her local nursing home. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Jan. 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for incapacitating

Verb

With endless criteria, knowing exactly what to ask for from a pair of jean shorts is paralyzing.

— Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 25 June 2026
His grief was crushing, paralyzing, calamitous.

— Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2026

Definition of paralyzing

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

Definition of crippling

Verb

But things are going to be missed, and Bungie now has to take drastic steps of disabling some gear, or aspects of gear, permanently, rather than being able to have the time and testing to fix or rebalance them.

— Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
That said, Amazon also has a history of disabling apps that let users circumnavigate its home screen that Fire devices, including Fire Sticks and Fire TVs, have increasingly used for ads.

— Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 30 June 2026

Definition of disabling

Verb

In Brooklyn, New York’s Coney Island neighborhood, a man in a black ski mask opened fire on a family barbecue late Saturday night, wounding at least eight people, including four children.

— Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 5 July 2026
Nandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, were found guilty by a jury last month of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026

Definition of wounding

Verb

On Sunday, Russia bombarded Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv with dozens of missiles and hundreds of strike drones, killing at least 11 and injuring scores more, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and media reports.

— Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 7 July 2026
The overnight attack comes just days after Russia launched a deadly assault on Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday morning, killing at least 31 people and injuring more than 80.

— Tiago Ventura, Time, 6 July 2026

Definition of injuring

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“Incapacitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incapacitating. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of incapacitating

verb

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