FluentPlex

cripple

/ˈkɹɪp(ə)l/ verb C2
  1. To make someone a cripple; to cause someone to become physically impaired. · The car bomb crippled five passers-by.
  2. To damage seriously; to destroy. (figuratively) · My ambitions were crippled by a lack of money.
  3. To cause severe and disabling damage; to make unable to function normally. (figuratively)
  4. To release a product (especially a computer program) with reduced functionality, in some cases, making the item essentially worthless. · The word processor was released in a crippled demonstration version that did not allow you to save.
  5. To nerf something to the point of being underpowered. (slang)

He/she/it cripples · Past crippled · Past participle crippled · -ing form crippling

+ Save to review

Verb forms

Base form
cripple
He/she/it
cripples
Past
crippled
Past participle
crippled
-ing form
crippling

From the library

It is evident, therefore, that if both girls had married, this beauty would have had a mere pittance, while even one of them would cripple him to a very serious extent.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, p. 52 · B2
It is the more terrible as he is a poor little inoffensive cripple." Ferguson's gaunt features softened as he spoke of his boy.
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, p. 57 · B2
I have the clearest claim upon half of their present estate, and if they could have found a single paper—which, fortunately, was in the strong-box of my solicitors—they would undoubtedly have crippled our case.”
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, p. 52 · B2
A lucky long shot of my revolver might have crippled him, but I had brought it only to defend myself if attacked and not to shoot an unarmed man who was running away.
The Hound of the Baskervilles, p. 124 · C1

Other matches

Learn cripple in real texts

With a free account, hover any word in the library for its meaning, hear it read aloud, save words for review timed to your memory, and see how much of each book you already know.

Create free account
Words, meanings, pronunciations and translations from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); how common each word is from wordfreq. Made into this dictionary by FluentPlex.