incapacitate
verb
in·ca·pac·i·tate
ˌin-kə-ˈpa-sə-ˌtāt 
incapacitated; incapacitating
Synonyms
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
He was drugged before being taken back to his apartment by the defendants, who then robbed him of over $2,000 and left him lying incapacitated on his bed, according to prosecutors.
—
Liam Quinn, People.com, 10 Feb. 2025
One punch by Harrison Ford's terrifying Red Hulk is enough to outright incapacitate Wilson for good.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Safety features such as Maximum Depth Protection, which prevents the sub from descending beyond its 300-meter (1,000-foot) depth limit, and the Deadman’s Switch (which a passenger can trigger to automatically ascend if the pilot is incapacitated) give some sense of the technology behind the design.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 22 Jan. 2025
The oligarchs are counting on Vance to become president when Trump is incapacitated or dies in office, or clings to power beyond 2028 and turns power over to Vance.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for incapacitate 
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Liam Quinn, People.com, 10 Feb. 2025
One punch by Harrison Ford's terrifying Red Hulk is enough to outright incapacitate Wilson for good.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Safety features such as Maximum Depth Protection, which prevents the sub from descending beyond its 300-meter (1,000-foot) depth limit, and the Deadman’s Switch (which a passenger can trigger to automatically ascend if the pilot is incapacitated) give some sense of the technology behind the design.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 22 Jan. 2025
The oligarchs are counting on Vance to become president when Trump is incapacitated or dies in office, or clings to power beyond 2028 and turns power over to Vance.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for incapacitate
Dictionary Entries Near incapacitate
Cite this Entry
“Incapacitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incapacitate. Accessed 16 Feb. 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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