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
Given the disease’s wide range of trajectories and manifestations—from mild and manageable to severely disabling—some now regard it as a group of diseases, rather than a single one.
—
Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
It is associated with hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior that impair daily functioning and can be disabling.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Most people recover in about a week, but joint pain can be severe, persistent and disabling in some cases, according to the CDC.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
Given the biological similarities between humans and naked mole-rats, the scientists believe so, equipping us with the ability to protect our genome from damage, disabling our cGAS from inhibiting the repair process.
—New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2025
Because fiber-optic drones are harder to produce, they are typically reserved for high-value strikes or for disabling jamming systems to clear the way for cheaper FPVs.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025
The crew then fired three rounds into the starboard engine, disabling the boat about four miles southwest of Point Loma.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
On the real hardware, this snippet ended up disabling half the cartridge’s memory.
—Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Sep. 2025
Since alopecia is a socially disabling condition, being naturally bald in public can feel like a radical statement.
—Essence, 24 Sep. 2025
Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
It is associated with hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior that impair daily functioning and can be disabling.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Most people recover in about a week, but joint pain can be severe, persistent and disabling in some cases, according to the CDC.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
Given the biological similarities between humans and naked mole-rats, the scientists believe so, equipping us with the ability to protect our genome from damage, disabling our cGAS from inhibiting the repair process.
—New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2025
Because fiber-optic drones are harder to produce, they are typically reserved for high-value strikes or for disabling jamming systems to clear the way for cheaper FPVs.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025
The crew then fired three rounds into the starboard engine, disabling the boat about four miles southwest of Point Loma.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
On the real hardware, this snippet ended up disabling half the cartridge’s memory.
—Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Sep. 2025
Since alopecia is a socially disabling condition, being naturally bald in public can feel like a radical statement.
—Essence, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disabling
Verb
-
On December 7, 1941, 353 Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor, killing 2,403 Americans and crippling much of the Pacific Fleet.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Perreira agrees that the financial imbalance in the game is crippling West Indies.—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Discipline without optimism is paralyzing.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Shortly after Henry’s death, Augusta suffered two paralyzing strokes, intensifying her and Ed’s isolated, co-dependent relationship before her death in 1945.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
While the name suggests something far more trivial, significant damage to the ligaments of the metatarsophalangeal joint can be incapacitating.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Age proved to be a crucial issue ahead of the 2024 presidential election, undermining former President Joe Biden's bid for reelection as political rivals and many voters expressed concerns over his health and his fitness for office.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Trump has a recent history of stirring the pot, undermining the diplomatic victories Bessent and Greer secured with China.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Williams shot two, police say, wounding one and killing Comeaux.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Gaza accused Israel last week of violating the ceasefire dozens of times, killing over 40 civilians and wounding nearly 150.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Washington — The Federal Reserve was already facing one of its most difficult battles, steering a shifting economy through a weakening labor market and stubborn inflation.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Far from expanding opportunity, this excessive wealth locks millions out of the chance to innovate and build, weakening growth for all.—
Scott Ellis,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Many on the left have been in an uproar of late, accusing Trump of damaging White House history as construction begins on a new White House ballroom.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
People have filmed themselves shaving their heads, damaging property, ripping up passports and setting themselves on fire, The Sun reported, citing Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the Safe Internet League.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disabling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disabling. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share