1. to injure, disfigure, or make imperfect by removing or irreparably damaging parts
2. to make something incomplete or less effective by damaging or changing it badly

Examples

• The accident mutilated his left hand.
• Vandals mutilated the statue in the park.
• The editor refused to mutilate the author’s original manuscript.
• The bombing mutilated the historic building.
• She was horrified to see how the fire had mutilated her garden.
• The censors mutilated the film by cutting out important scenes.