cripple

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb cripple contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of cripple are batter, maim, mangle, and mutilate. While all these words mean "to injure so severely as to cause lasting damage," cripple implies the loss or serious impairment of an arm or leg.

crippled for life in an accident

Where would batter be a reasonable alternative to cripple?

While in some cases nearly identical to cripple, batter implies a series of blows that bruise deeply, deform, or mutilate.

an old ship battered by fierce storms

In what contexts can maim take the place of cripple?

The words maim and cripple can be used in similar contexts, but maim implies the loss or injury of a bodily member through violence.

maimed by a shark

When is mangle a more appropriate choice than cripple?

Although the words mangle and cripple have much in common, mangle implies a tearing or crushing that leaves deep wounds.

a soldier's leg mangled by shrapnel

When can mutilate be used instead of cripple?

While the synonyms mutilate and cripple are close in meaning, mutilate implies the cutting off or removal of an essential part of a person or thing thereby impairing its completeness, beauty, or function.

a tree mutilated by inept pruning

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 cripple That crippled Huawei’s smartphone brand, once one of the world’s biggest. Joe McDonald, ajc, 9 Mar. 2023 Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared, and hospitals filled with malnourished children. Christina Goldbaum, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023 Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared and hospitals filled with malnourished children. Yaqoob Akbary Kiana Hayeri, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2023 If nothing is done, this could cripple the ISS. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Jane Harman, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022 See All Example Sentences for cripple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cripple
Verb
  • The program, now in its 23rd year, partners with programs serving elderly and incapacitated adults across Lake County to develop a continuum of elder law advocacy and guardianship services, the release said.
    Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
  • In the two years since Tommy Elliott was killed in a mass shooting, Maryanne’s grief has, in turns, left her aghast and overwhelmed, bewildered and incapacitated, grateful and wanting to die.
    Kristina Goetz, USA Today, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Memorial at Florida State University after a fatal shooting killed two people and injured several others.
    Kati Weis, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2025
  • The spill killed 11 people and injured 17 others as 210 million gallons of crude oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico (recently renamed by the U.S. government as Gulf of America) for a total of 87 days.
    Terry Collins, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • He was paralyzed as a result of the shooting and died three months later.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The disturbing event all but paralyzes Kyle on the couch as the viral loathing continues.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The day he was inaugurated, Trump disabled the CBP One mobile app that the Biden administration had utilized since 2023 to create a more orderly process of applying for asylum from the U.S.-Mexico border.
    Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Synology's firmware, as of this writing, allows for a configuration file edit that can disable checks for certified drives.
    Kevin Purdy, ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Their son and daughter-in-law, Cameron Bott, 35, and his wife, Diana, 36, whose nearby home was damaged in the tornado, initiated a discussion about starting a GoFundMe to offset potential insurance shortfalls in rebuilding the gas station.
    Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025
  • There was a fire in 2023 that damaged part of the nightclub, authorities said.
    Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The site goes on to advance the theory that COVID-19 originated in a Wuhan lab and undermines Trump’s political rivals like Joe Biden and Andrew Cuomo.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Critics are concerned Trump's latest move could allow the administration to purge nonpartisan career officials and replace them with political loyalists, undermining the independence of the federal workforce.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In 2013, three people were killed and hundreds were wounded during the Boston Marathon bombings, when two men detonated homemade bombs at the race's finish line.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Madrid, whose calendar is now rather less full, have wounded egos to repair.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The dashboard was part of an extended pressure campaign from Buttigieg, who, during his tenure in the Biden administration, publicly challenged the major carriers to improve service and transparency—particularly after a summer marred by cancellations and flight delays.
    Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 8 Apr. 2025
  • What to Know Artists like Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift have previously clashed with ticketing platforms, with Swift's 2022 tour marred by widespread ticket access issues.
    Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cripple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cripple. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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