as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
the debilitation that all the prisoners of war had experienced during their captivity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weakness
the quality or state of lacking physical strength or vigor
attributed the patient's general debilitation to an iron deficiency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debilitate
Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2025
There was the lesion, the scans, the meds and the debilitating reactions to too much stimuli, which flared up when his three rambunctious children hit overdrive.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
Andy Fata-Chan is a physical therapist and the founder of Moment Physical Therapy and Performance, which specializes in helping patients with chronic debilitating pain get back to high performance.
—Andy Fata-Chan, Contributor, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2025
In addition to facing unbearable losses, both had also unknowingly inhaled toxic debris that would spark a series of debilitating illnesses.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitate
Verb
Watson dove in to save his closest friend but suffered a debilitating blow to the head from a rock.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2025
There was the lesion, the scans, the meds and the debilitating reactions to too much stimuli, which flared up when his three rambunctious children hit overdrive.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
Andy Fata-Chan is a physical therapist and the founder of Moment Physical Therapy and Performance, which specializes in helping patients with chronic debilitating pain get back to high performance.
—Andy Fata-Chan, Contributor, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2025
In addition to facing unbearable losses, both had also unknowingly inhaled toxic debris that would spark a series of debilitating illnesses.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitate
Verb
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But the Trump administration's new cuts further weaken a banking watchdog that has been sounding the alarm for years about its decreasing ability to prevent future banking crises.—
Maria Aspan,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2025
-
In the fourth quarter of 2024, WK Kellogg reported net sales of $640 million, a decrease of 1.7% compared to $651 million in the same period in 2023, impacted by a 5.6% volume decline and a 40 basis point headwind from the weakening Canadian dollar.—
Joe Cornell,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
This industry is the major culprit in the bay’s deterioration.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Feb. 2025
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In the fourth quarter, revenues were up 2 percent at constant exchange rates, returning to growth after several quarters of deterioration, mainly thanks to the improvement recorded by the wholesale channel.—
Luisa Zargani,
WWD,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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According to the Mayo Clinic, Guillain-Barré is a condition in which the body's immune system attacks the nerves, resulting in weakness, numbness or paralysis.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Countless emergency room visits, unexplained symptoms, body weakness, and pain became my new normal.—
Essence,
Essence,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The new tariffs on Canada and Mexico had previously been on a monthlong pause, and many critics hoped that they would be softened, or eliminated, before their deadline to resume.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2025
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Notes of sandalwood, seaweed, amber, and sea salt get a bit of a masculine edge from fir that’s then softened with feminine rose, all of which sit very close to the skin.—
Emily Orofino,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
While the world continues around them, parents of children with life-threatening illnesses experience profound exhaustion, fear, and anxiety.—
Friends of Karen,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
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In a time of intense polarization, voters in municipal elections that were held Tuesday around the Chicago area showed encouraging signs of exhaustion with politicians’ drama.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The shadow of death and debility haunted American women throughout the nineteenth century.—
Jenny Noyce,
JSTOR Daily,
28 June 2024
-
According to this view, the outside world has been generous to Africa, providing substantial aid in recent decades, leaving no excuse for the continent’s debility.—
Howard W. French,
Foreign Affairs,
16 June 2015
Noun
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Investigations into the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster revealed that key decision-makers worked on little sleep, raising concerns that fatigue impaired their judgment.—
Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse,
The Conversation,
7 Mar. 2025
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In addition, heavy exercise done while experiencing a respiratory viral illness can lead to chronic fatigue and even exacerbate myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, according to a 2021 study published in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine.—
Melanie Radzicki McManus,
CNN,
7 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitate. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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