Seriously harm

MAIM

Think of a verb that describes causing permanent injury, often used in legal contexts to denote severe bodily damage. It starts with the same letter as "mutilate.

Seriously harm" is a straightforward definition clue pointing to a word that means to injure someone severely or permanently. The answer is "MAIM," which fits perfectly since it describes causing lasting damage, like losing a limb or function. No wordplay here—just a direct match between the clue’s meaning and the answer’s definition.