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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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for debilitates
  1. weakens
  2. softens
Verb
  • Narrowing the spread also weakens the incentive to steer patients toward costlier drugs and to acquire physician practices and infusion clinics — the very behaviors that have made care more expensive.
    — Casey B. Mulligan, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Research shows that people who share their goals publicly are less likely to achieve them, since talking about them creates a premature sense of accomplishment and weakens the drive to do the work.
    — Ben Meer, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • If buyers have already seen your ad several times, engagement softens, giving the platform another reason to show something else.
    — Matt Jayson, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, hyaluronic acid draws moisture into skin for a more immediate plumping effect that softens the appearance of lines.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 2 Oct. 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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debilitated
debilitates
debilitating
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Cite this Entry

“Debilitates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debilitates. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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