mutilate

Prisoners there became severely depressed: some began to compulsively mutilate themselves; others attempted suicide.

With cynical cruelty, he set himself to insult, to undermine, to mutilate it.

It would not mutilate and disfigure the body, for it is a sacred temple, to be made beautiful and attractive.

You mutilate my brain with your clumsy pincers—you put your claws into my thoughts and tear them to pieces!

Not only does the censorship mutilate literary works, but it often suffocates the inspiration of the author.

This dispatch, too, the House of Commons took care to mutilate before sending it to the press.