as in demoralizing
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as in weakening
to diminish the physical strength of
the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debilitating
Kristina Mani, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2025
Measles, mumps and other vaccine-preventable diseases can cause debilitating and permanent damage.
—Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
Teenagers and adults, while less likely to die, can experience weeks of debilitating coughing that disrupts school, work, and daily life, says Nachman.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debilitating
Adjective
Demanding political litmus tests The third tactic may be the most debilitating within the military itself.
—Verb
Cramped, about living with debilitating period pain, is funny, educational, and at times enraging.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitating
Adjective
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Despite suffering demoralizing losses in 2024 and grappling with persistently low approval ratings, Democrats have reasons to be optimistic about the 2026 cycle.—
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The Jays were able to put their demoralizing, 18-inning loss the night before behind them as the bats came back to life.—
Verb
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Milk, butter and cheese prices on the wholesale market and at grocery stores have decreased slightly due to oversupply and weakening consumer demand.—
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This suggests consumers enter 2026 with continuing concerns over high prices and weakening labor market conditions.—
Adjective
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Long periods of socializing, like a weeklong conference, can feel far more draining than shorter events.—
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By aligning strategic work with those rhythms, productivity can feel more natural and less draining.—
Verb
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Each of the eight luxurious scents is packed with softening coconut oil and shea butter.—
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Fischer especially recommends making sound-softening updates in rooms with higher ceilings, open layouts, and hardwood flooring, all of which can amplify echo and reverb.—
Adjective
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Grand Luna has an unprecedented high-frequency extension that goes as high as 30kHz, while remaining smooth, non-fatiguing, and eliminating harshness or sibilance thanks to Campfire’s acoustic engineering.—
Verb
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Jovanny Hernandez followed stories of immigration throughout the year, including Judge Hannah Dugan’s obstruction charges and Yessenia Ruano’s decision to return to El Salvador after exhausting options in Milwaukee.—
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Nancy went out to work in the fields and took a job in a school cafeteria, exhausting herself to hold on to the children.—
Adjective
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Their status has been diminished by what has — charitably — been a really discouraging decade, featuring two separate relegations.—
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High taxes squeeze margins and send a discouraging signal to firms.—
Verb
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Don’t bother wasting your money—using it more than once a day won’t yield ‘better’ or faster results.—
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People become paralyzed by choice and the risk of wasting time on something bad.—
Cite this Entry
“Debilitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitating. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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