incapacitate

verb

ˌin-kə-ˈpa-sə-ˌtāt How to pronounce incapacitate (audio)
Definition of incapacitatenext
1
as in to paralyze
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move the malfunctioning of a single component can incapacitate the engine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cripple
to cause severe or permanent injury to the stroke left her completely incapacitated

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 incapacitate Add to that Safe Return™ Emergency Autoland, where, if the pilot was incapacitated, a touch of a big red button initiates a safe, autonomous landing. — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026 The police described her as drunk and incapacitated, according to the records. — New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 The Vatican has no specific rules on how the leadership of the Catholic Church is transferred should the pope be incapacitated. — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 Levin said that nothing could justify Lewie’s firing several shots at McConnell after he was incapacitated on the ground. — Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incapacitate
  1. cripple
  2. injure
  3. undermine
  4. maim
  5. wound
  6. disable
  7. kill
Verb
  • The destruction of South Korea’s memory chip fabs would compound this tragedy and cripple the global economy.
    — Dan Blumenthal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Mendel argued that Zelenskyy's promise to bring peace at the time stands in stark contrast to the devastating war that has crippled the country and defined much of his presidency.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of cripple
Verb
  • Also according to the emergency service, consecutive Russian strikes on a shopping center in Kharkiv injured four people late on Saturday, including three rescue workers.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Patrick, who was injured when his cleats became tangled in TV cords, had to first seek redress through a grievance procedure before being able to pursue a lawsuit.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of injure
Verb
  • But supporters also warned that a Congress increasingly dominated by the far right and the agribusiness caucus could undermine those efforts to protect the forest and combat climate change.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The senator challenged Supreme Federal Court Justice Cristiano Zanin’s decision to extend voting by two hours, arguing that the uneven application of the measure had undermined equal voting conditions.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of undermine
Verb
  • Roché said six people, including minors, had been maimed in three weeks of protests, losing hands or eyes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Doctors in Aleppo later reported a pattern of regime snipers shooting to maim civilians, rather than to kill them—partly to maximize suffering, partly to invite rescue attempts.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of maim
Verb
  • Two women, ages 50 and 60, were killed and dozens of other people were wounded in a Russian strike on a market in Lozova, in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, said Oleh Syniehubov, head of the regional military administration.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Three more soldiers were lightly wounded in the attack in the city of Hebron, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
    — Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of wound
Verb
  • From microwave weapons that can disable multiple drones to interceptor missiles and electronic warfare systems, the US military is developing a diverse toolkit to counter the growing threat from unmanned aircraft.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The double-press-and-hold control is the only one that can’t be customized here, and it’s locked to disabling/enabling the dial itself.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of disable
Verb
  • Support for the populist had eroded since 16 people were killed in 2024 when a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad.
    — JOVANA GEC, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The military campaign that ensued has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of kill

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Incapacitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incapacitate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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