MUTILATE Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'mutilate' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of mutilate are batter , cripple , maim , and mangle . While all these words mean "to injure so severely as to cause lasting damage," mutilate implies the cutting off or removal of an essential part of a person or thing thereby impairing its completeness, beauty, or function. // a tree mutilated by inept pruning

Q: Where would 'batter' be a reasonable alternative to 'mutilate'?

Although the words batter and mutilate have much in common, batter implies a series of blows that bruise deeply, deform, or mutilate. // an old ship battered by fierce storms

Q: When is 'cripple' a more appropriate choice than 'mutilate'?

The words cripple and mutilate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, cripple implies the loss or serious impairment of an arm or leg. // crippled for life in an accident

Q: When can 'maim' be used instead of 'mutilate'?

The meanings of maim and mutilate largely overlap; however, maim implies the loss or injury of a bodily member through violence. // maimed by a shark

Q: When could 'mangle' be used to replace 'mutilate'?

While in some cases nearly identical to mutilate , mangle implies a tearing or crushing that leaves deep wounds. // a soldier's leg mangled by shrapnel

mutilate

verb

ˈmyü-tə-ˌlāt

Definition of mutilate

as in to cripple

to cause severe or permanent injury to was lucky not to be mutilated in the car crash

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the verb mutilate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of mutilate are batter, cripple, maim, and mangle. While all these words mean "to injure so severely as to cause lasting damage," mutilate implies the cutting off or removal of an essential part of a person or thing thereby impairing its completeness, beauty, or function.

a tree mutilated by inept pruning

Where would batter be a reasonable alternative to mutilate?

Although the words batter and mutilate have much in common, batter implies a series of blows that bruise deeply, deform, or mutilate.

an old ship battered by fierce storms

When is cripple a more appropriate choice than mutilate?

The words cripple and mutilate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, cripple implies the loss or serious impairment of an arm or leg.

crippled for life in an accident

When can maim be used instead of mutilate?

The meanings of maim and mutilate largely overlap; however, maim implies the loss or injury of a bodily member through violence.

maimed by a shark

When could mangle be used to replace mutilate?

While in some cases nearly identical to mutilate, mangle implies a tearing or crushing that leaves deep wounds.

a soldier's leg mangled by shrapnel

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of mutilate Rhaenyra’s aunt, Rhaenys, is slain in the fight, and Aegon is mutilated, his own dragon left for dead on the field. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026 Sam’s face was mutilated beyond recognition; his mother identified him by a tattoo on his chest that read Mother, and promptly collapsed. — Laura Secor, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026 Guess which mowing league isn't mutilating hedgehogs? — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026 One knight short for the trial of seven that will determine if he is freed or if he will be mutilated by the crown, Dunk appeals to the honor of all knights present, asking them to take up his cause. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for mutilate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mutilate

Verb

In 2022, officials condemned Iran for a cyberattack that crippled Albania's government services.

— Ramy Inocencio, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Businesses have warned that the duties could cripple their sales and that the threat alone has already taken a toll.

— Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of cripple

Verb

First, the knife had to be able penetrate deep into its target, even through heavy winter clothing, to deliver a blow that would quickly incapacitate.

— David Szondy August 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
All that before disorienting and incapacitating a potential school shooter in about a minute.

— Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of incapacitate

Verb

Demining groups say that without international support, Southeast Asia’s unfinished work clearing land mines and unexploded bombs will continue to endanger communities, maiming and killing people and slowing development for years to come.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
His act made use of racial and ethnic slurs, under the philosophy that taboo words lost their maiming edge with repetition.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of maim

Verb

Consider each target wounded by crushing knockdowns and then killed by piggy-backers, irrespective of the quality of the quarter.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
Aargau Cantonal Police said one person was killed and five others were wounded after shots were fired at the event in the town of Aarau, a scenic area known for its lush valleys, medieval castles and thermal springs.

— Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of wound

Verb

Users reported problems with Outlook, while OpenAI said users may experience problems starting or continuing tasks in ChatGPT Work, temporarily disabling two of the modern office's favorite methods of assigning more work.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Thankfully, there was an option in the app to disable auto-shutdown mode.

— Joe Salas August 28, New Atlas, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of disable

Verb

The portable machine uses pulses of full-spectrum ultraviolet light to kill infectious germs inside hospital rooms.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Clancy is a Massachusetts woman who has been on trial for killing her three children and attempting to take her own life in 2023.

— Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of kill

Verb

The 52-year-old wife of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the Norwegian throne, was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, a chronic disease that causes scarring in the lungs and leads to a reduced oxygen uptake.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
In images shared by HM Coastguard Canvey, the bluish-gray carcass appears to have scarring along its underside, with no clear indication of its cause of death.

— Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026

Definition of scar

Browse Nearby Words

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mutilated

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“Mutilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mutilate. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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