cripple

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A steep drop in the first few years of retirement, while you’re pulling money out to live on, can permanently cripple a portfolio even after the market recovers.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026

Abrupt, unwelcome occurrences scar our autonomy and cripple our illusion of independence; the question of what went wrong falls on our shoulders, another loop to languish inside.

From Salon • May 30, 2026

Private preschool owners say the rush of 4-year-olds joining public schools threatens to cripple their businesses.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

It also jeopardizes global crop yields—gas is a vital fertilizer feedstock—and could cripple semiconductor production by slashing helium supply, a natural gas byproduct.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Her hands trembled and she pressed them together to make them stop, for Kapugen had taught her that fear can so cripple a person that he cannot think or act.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George