as in damages
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
already impaired by a crack, the windshield shattered upon impact with the baseball
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Recent Examples of impairs
Lead impairs cognition and cadmium harms the kidneys.
—
Anton L. Delgado, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
About 6 million Americans had opioid use disorder — a problematic pattern of opioid use that significantly impairs or distresses a patient — as of 2022, according to the CDC.
—Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
Studies show that water loss of less than 1% impairs your memory and attention.
—Teresa Maalouf, Verywell Health, 23 Apr. 2026
The National Sleep Foundation concluded there isn’t enough evidence to confirm that blue light from screens before bed reliably impairs adult sleep.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve.
—Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026
If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve.
—Southern California Weather Report, Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Researchers believe the cave’s poor lighting impairs the spiders’ vision, creating an unlikely truce between the species.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
Anton L. Delgado, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
About 6 million Americans had opioid use disorder — a problematic pattern of opioid use that significantly impairs or distresses a patient — as of 2022, according to the CDC.
—Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
Studies show that water loss of less than 1% impairs your memory and attention.
—Teresa Maalouf, Verywell Health, 23 Apr. 2026
The National Sleep Foundation concluded there isn’t enough evidence to confirm that blue light from screens before bed reliably impairs adult sleep.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve.
—Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026
If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026
If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve.
—Southern California Weather Report, Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Researchers believe the cave’s poor lighting impairs the spiders’ vision, creating an unlikely truce between the species.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impairs
Verb
-
Mercury damages the nervous system.—
Anton L. Delgado,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Antisemitism weakens trust, corrodes pluralism and damages the social fabric on which diverse communities depend.—
Laurence Milstein,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This storyline later appeared in the second season of Girls, as Dunham’s character Hannah is overwhelmed with the anxiety of writing a novel and similarly injures herself.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 2026
-
In her desperation to ask Val for a job on the new sitcom, Sharon falls and injures herself.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
No sadness mars the purity of its paranoia.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
However, an earnestness mars most of the proceedings.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Expanding nonmedical exemptions, however, weakens the very protections those medically vulnerable children depend on.—
Sarah Marsicek,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Critics say allowing the department to delay or sideline state investigations weakens one of the last independent checks on government lawyers.—
Jaclyn Diaz,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The author takes an overnight Amtrak journey instead of a flight to Washington as the government shutdown cripples Atlanta’s airport.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
These pressures could produce a tsunami that fractures the state’s fiscal foundation, self-inflicts a crisis ultimately demanding drastic cuts, and cripples its competitiveness.—
Andrew Rein,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Others warned holding funding flat without hearing the district’s needs erodes trust and leaves key decisions about staffing, resources and student support happening without transparency.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Inflation erodes the coin’s buying power every year.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Yes, DiVincenzo’s absence hurts Minnesota’s prospects of making a deep playoff push.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Inflation hurts on so many levels.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Yet the current system for training young athletes compromises that very goal.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Quality over quantity The perception that recycled cotton compromises quality is increasingly being disproven by innovation and real-world products, according to Laura Vicaria, Denim Deal program director.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impairs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impairs. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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