incapacitate
verb
in·ca·pac·i·tate
ˌin-kə-ˈpa-sə-ˌtāt 
incapacitated; incapacitating
Examples of incapacitate in a Sentence
The class teaches you how to incapacitate an attacker.
The stroke left her completely incapacitated.
He was incapacitated by the pain.
a computer system incapacitated by software problems
Recent Examples on the Web
This blitzkrieg-style defense is often enough to scare off even large predators, as a single envenomation can incapacitate within minutes.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Unlike snakes that rely on camouflage and venom yield to incapacitate prey, the black mamba’s strategy is shock-and-awe defense.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
If she was incapacitated by a crash, her car could’ve veered into the river.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2025
Surveillance footage from inside the post office shows the victim, clearly incapacitated, being supported by colleagues Kirt Alcala, 38, Edward Chou, 40, and Daniel Jean, 38.
—Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
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Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Unlike snakes that rely on camouflage and venom yield to incapacitate prey, the black mamba’s strategy is shock-and-awe defense.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
If she was incapacitated by a crash, her car could’ve veered into the river.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2025
Surveillance footage from inside the post office shows the victim, clearly incapacitated, being supported by colleagues Kirt Alcala, 38, Edward Chou, 40, and Daniel Jean, 38.
—Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incapacitate
Cite this Entry
“Incapacitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incapacitate. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incapacitate
verb
in·ca·pac·i·tate
ˌin-kə-ˈpas-ə-ˌtāt
incapacitated; incapacitating
: to make incapable : disable
Legal Definition
incapacitate
transitive verb
in·ca·pac·i·tate
ˌin-kə-ˈpa-sə-ˌtāt
incapacitated; incapacitating
1
: to make legally incapable or ineligible
mental illness alone will not incapacitate a person from making a valid contract—Landmark Med. Ctr. v. Gauthier, 635 A.2d 1145 (1994)
Landmark Med. Ctr. v. Gauthier, 635 A.2d 1145 (1994)2
: to deprive of capacity or natural power
an injury that incapacitates the employee
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