debilitates

verb

present tense third-person singular of debilitate
as in weakens
to diminish the physical strength of the heart surgery debilitated the college athlete beyond his worst fears

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitates
  1. weakens
  2. softens
Verb
  • As that constraint weakens, so, too, may an incentive for restraint.
    — Jason Bordoff, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Infants with the condition may have lifelong complications and may need a heart transplant if the defect is complex, or if the heart weakens after surgery, according to the federal health agency.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • Beyond any of the sociocultural flotsam and jetsam, hanging out with your crush on a lake at a northern latitude both softens and distills all the brain-stem-deep associations with what summer means.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The Velvet filter softens the overall contrast and wraps the scene in a warmer, vintage-like tone that makes the blues and purples feel richer.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of softens
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Debilitates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitates. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on debilitates

Nglish: Translation of debilitates for Spanish Speakers

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