mutilate
verb
mu·ti·late
ˈmyü-tə-ˌlāt 
mutilated; mutilating; mutilates
1
: to cut up or alter radically so as to make imperfect
The child mutilated the book with his scissors.
a painting mutilated by vandals
2
: to cut off or cause severe damage to a limb or essential part of
His arm was mutilated in the accident.
Examples of mutilate in a Sentence
a painting mutilated by vandals
was lucky not to be mutilated in the car crash
Recent Examples on the Web
In the subsequent Israeli onslaught, more than forty-one thousand Palestinians have been killed, and about a hundred thousand more have been maimed and mutilated.
—
Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
Militaries are required under international law to treat the bodies of enemy soldiers with respect, prevent them from being mutilated, and return them to the deceased’s family.
—Kareem Khadder, CNN, 20 Sep. 2024
As Boyd looks on in horror, Randall—clearly mutilated—wakes up, coughing blood.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
Children’s bodies were so mutilated their parents had trouble identifying them.
—Brett Murphy, ProPublica, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mutilate 
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Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
Militaries are required under international law to treat the bodies of enemy soldiers with respect, prevent them from being mutilated, and return them to the deceased’s family.
—Kareem Khadder, CNN, 20 Sep. 2024
As Boyd looks on in horror, Randall—clearly mutilated—wakes up, coughing blood.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
Children’s bodies were so mutilated their parents had trouble identifying them.
—Brett Murphy, ProPublica, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mutilate
Dictionary Entries Near mutilate
Cite this Entry
“Mutilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mutilate. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mutilate
verb
mu·ti·late
ˈmyüt-ᵊl-ˌāt
mutilated; mutilating
1
: to make imperfect by cutting or altering severely : ruin
mutilate a play
2
: to cut off or destroy a necessary part (as a limb) : maim
Medical Definition
mutilate
transitive verb
mu·ti·late
ˈmyüt-ᵊl-ˌāt
mutilated; mutilating
: to cut off or cause severe damage to a limb or essential part of
mutilate a body
also
: castrate sense 1
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