Synonym Chooser

How does the verb mutilate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of mutilate are batter, cripple, maim, and mangle. While all these words mean "to injure so severely as to cause lasting damage," 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

Where would batter be a reasonable alternative to mutilate?

Although the words batter and mutilate have much in common, batter implies a series of blows that bruise deeply, deform, or mutilate.

an old ship battered by fierce storms

When is cripple a more appropriate choice than mutilate?

The words cripple and mutilate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, cripple implies the loss or serious impairment of an arm or leg.

crippled for life in an accident

When can maim be used instead of mutilate?

The meanings of maim and mutilate largely overlap; however, maim implies the loss or injury of a bodily member through violence.

maimed by a shark

When could mangle be used to replace mutilate?

While in some cases nearly identical to mutilate, mangle implies a tearing or crushing that leaves deep wounds.

a soldier's leg mangled by shrapnel

Examples 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 mutilate His face was mutilated from torture, but his mother recognized the tattoos on his chest. Lynsey Addario, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2024 He would get mutilated on The Challenge, by the way. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024 Instead of giving turkeys more space and better conditions, producers mutilate them to minimize the damage. Kenny Torrella, Vox, 26 Nov. 2024 Van Gogh had admitted himself to an asylum there after mutilating his left ear. Katie Hunt, CNN, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mutilate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mutilate
Verb
  • About six weeks ago, hackers crippled the computer systems of the TV and mobile phone provider Dish Network.
    Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2023
  • Oakland Mills Coach: Chris Brewington Last season: Class 2A state champion Outlook: Losing the talent Oakland Mills did from last year’s outdoor season would cripple most programs, but the Scorpions have reloaded.
    Anthony Maluso, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2023
Verb
  • In the meantime, he’s incapacitated, which means that — per Monty’s will — Tommy is president of MTex, as well as the head of Monty’s estate and his family trust.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 12 Jan. 2025
  • Hezbollah has been decapitated, its top echelons wiped out, and thousands of its fighters are incapacitated or dead.
    Noah Rothman, National Review, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Detectives arrested a suspect associated with a stabbing that killed a woman and left a man seriously injured in west Roseville on Saturday, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
    Emma Hall, Sacramento Bee, 26 Jan. 2025
  • But the three-peat has proved elusive in professional football for all kinds of reasons: Key players get injured.
    Becky Sullivan, NPR, 25 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Thousands of children have been orphaned, maimed and traumatized.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024
  • Pointing out the obvious, instead of killing and maiming one another, the surviving German males were back to producing in various ways.
    John Tamny, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Residents reported constant gunfire and explosions and Palestinian health services reported at least four wounded, after 10 people were killed a day earlier.
    Reuters, NBC News, 23 Jan. 2025
  • At least 10 people have been killed in the raids this week, and more than 40 others have been wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
    Matthew Mpoke Bigg, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Consider Opting Out Of Model Improvement Consider disabling Improve The Model For Everyone in settings to prevent your conversations from being used for AI training.
    Alex Vakulov, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
  • The crash led to the death of 17-year-old Luciana Fernandez, permanently disabled Katerina Puig, now 19, and injured several other teens on his boat that day.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • But some believe the same elements behind the older Kennedy’s assassination also killed the former senator.
    Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Tens of thousands succumbed to disease, starvation and mining-related accidents, while others were killed as part of a larger genocide.
    Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Guatemala, a small, impoverished nation scarred by a brutal civil war, has a substantial undocumented population in the United States.
    Daniele Volpe, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025
  • More broadly, Israel's security chiefs had been scarred by the disintegration of ceasefire and hostage talks at the 11th hour in previous rounds and were keen to move toward a comprehensive end to fighting, Tomer told Newsweek.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near mutilate

Cite this Entry

“Mutilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mutilate. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on mutilate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!