How to Use impair in a Sentence

impair

verb
  • Smoking can impair your health.
  • His memory was so impaired by age that he often forgot where he was.
  • Drinking impairs a person's ability to think clearly.
  • Police said the driver of the SUV was not impaired during the crash.
    Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2023
  • This does not impair my enjoyment of the Gorn episodes in the prequel.
    Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 Sep. 2023
  • Steele showed up to work late the day of Owen’s transport and appeared to be impaired, the attorneys said.
    Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 30 May 2024
  • Cold, dry air can also impair the second and third tiers of the body’s immune response.
    Megan Molteni, Wired, 12 Nov. 2020
  • The comparative calm on the crime front has done nothing to impair sales.
    Andrew Brinker, BostonGlobe.com, 30 July 2022
  • Urban sprawl keeps growing, and light pollution from a bright city impairs views of the sky even to those more than 40 miles away.
    Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Apr. 2023
  • There were no witnesses, and it is not known if he was impaired by drugs or alcohol.
    Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2024
  • Spencer lives with a condition that may impair her judgment.
    Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 4 Mar. 2023
  • Officials said the underage driver was 16 years old and may have been impaired at the time of the collision.
    Jack Armstrong, The Arizona Republic, 12 Aug. 2024
  • Santiago had a few drinks but not enough to impair his driving, Toscano said.
    NBC News, 23 Jan. 2022
  • In a number of states, someone with that amount of THC would be considered legally impaired.
    Gavin Off, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2024
  • The department was waiting for results of a blood test acquired with a warrant that would show whether the driver was impaired.
    Anita Snow, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2023
  • Ruck was not under the influence or impaired in the crash, which has led police to search for other reasons why the crash occurred.
    Asher Notheis, Washington Examiner, 8 Nov. 2023
  • But making sure that a replacement is put in the right spot is important because implants in the wrong place could impair the function of the BCI.
    WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022
  • Speed, who has a condition that may impair her judgment, was last known to be wearing a black outfit.
    Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 7 Dec. 2020
  • In 2024, with the prevalence and convenience of public transit and ride-shares, there is no excuse to get behind the wheel when you are impaired in any way.
    Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2024
  • Because of this, low zinc levels can impair wound healing.
    Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 12 Oct. 2022
  • Your decision-making skills will no longer be impaired by a desperate thirst to be liked by all.
    Meghana Indurti, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023
  • En route to the harvest, freezing spray would add extra weight that could impair the boat’s stability.
    Anchorage Daily News, 4 Apr. 2022
  • The thinnest layer of ice or snow can impair your ability to drive and perhaps most important, steer.
    Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 26 Nov. 2021
  • The new process may still require companies to impair goodwill.
    Mark Maurer, WSJ, 4 Jan. 2021
  • Cannabis can impair a person’s ability to drive up to 4 hours after the drug is used, according to a recent study.
    Amy McGorry, Fox News, 31 Jan. 2022
  • That will mark 58 Super Bowls for the Roman Numeral impaired.
    Dallas News, 15 Feb. 2023
  • But if those are your rear wheels, chains will impair your braking ability above walking speeds.
    Wes Siler, Outside Online, 9 Mar. 2023
  • After college, David worked as a bra salesman and as a driver for a woman whose vision was impaired.
    David Remnick, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
  • Most people who carry mutations that impair the gene’s function are diagnosed with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome.
    Kristen V. Brown, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Suffocation and Death Alcohol poisoning can impair necessary reflexes in your body, particularly the gag reflex—which helps prevent choking on food, liquids, and saliva.
    Maggie Aime, Msn, Health, 24 Nov. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impair.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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