1
as in incapacitates
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 paralyzes
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 disables
After Wednesday disables the machine with an axe, Isaac’s ability no longer works, and Thing attacks him.
—
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
To be specific, this mode disables custom actions, changes backlighting to a single color, and prevents profile switching.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2025
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
To be specific, this mode disables custom actions, changes backlighting to a single color, and prevents profile switching.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disables
Verb
-
Generate rough drafts when perfection paralyzes you.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The smaller wasp quickly stings the spider, injecting its powerful venom that does not kill but permanently paralyzes it.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
An ongoing alien siege cripples the world’s militaries, infrastructure, and communication centers but Will can run Premiere Pro, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and remote control a Tesla all at the same time.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
If a dog that has not been officially declared dangerous severely injures or kills a person when unprovoked, authorities may confiscate the dog, and the dog’s owner is liable for the incident.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
-
This is an inflammatory condition in which swelling injures the optic nerve, disrupting the transmission of visual information from the eye to the brain.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This persistent erasure not only undermines the economic opportunities and visibility these creators deserve, but also distorts the narrative of where many of fashion’s most influential movements originate.—
Corein Carter,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
This decision undermines basic constitutional protections and deepens the climate of intimidation against both immigrants and people of color.—
Norma Chavez-Peterson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Any delay in release weakens hatchlings and affects their survival rates.—
M. Rajshekhar,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Beyond 100 people, culture often fragments, communication distorts and the founder’s vision weakens.—
Jonathan Low,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disables.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disables. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share