as in disability
complete or partial loss of physical function (as motion or sensation) in a part of the body
the car accident left one athlete with paralysis from the waist down
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Recent Examples of paralysis
The pool was installed during the Administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who swam to maintain his strength after his paralysis.
—
Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Mark Yee was driving and, while responding to pain, was unconscious and, unfortunately, looks to have paralysis in both his arms and legs.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
On a far too frequent basis, Americans have listened to the erratic falsehoods of a pathologically narcissistic president while our Republican leaders in Congress cower in the corners of their offices in a state of self-protective paralysis.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2026
Symptoms can include abdominal pain or discomfort, blurred or double vision, dilated pupils, dizziness, drooping eyelid, dry or sore throat, facial muscle paralysis, nausea or vomiting, swollen belly, and trouble swallowing and speaking.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralysis
Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Mark Yee was driving and, while responding to pain, was unconscious and, unfortunately, looks to have paralysis in both his arms and legs.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
On a far too frequent basis, Americans have listened to the erratic falsehoods of a pathologically narcissistic president while our Republican leaders in Congress cower in the corners of their offices in a state of self-protective paralysis.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2026
Symptoms can include abdominal pain or discomfort, blurred or double vision, dilated pupils, dizziness, drooping eyelid, dry or sore throat, facial muscle paralysis, nausea or vomiting, swollen belly, and trouble swallowing and speaking.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralysis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralysis
Noun
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People getting handicap parking permits without a disability are in hot water.—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Black and Hispanic Americans, young adults, and people with disabilities are more likely to be unbanked than other people, and 1 in 5 unbanked households include someone with a disability.—
Beverly Moran,
The Conversation,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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State law requires people with them to have long-term or temporary mobility impairments.—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Police said the driver stopped at the scene and that investigators found no evidence of impairment; there is no indication that the driver was arrested or cited.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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According to John Hopkins Medicine, Bell’s palsy is a sudden paralysis or weakness of the facial muscles, usually on one side of the face.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
4 Jan. 2026
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Jackson, 84, was admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in November for progressive supranuclear palsy, or PSP, a neurodegenerative condition.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Together, the cases highlight weaknesses in an industry that has long struggled to balance nutritional innovation with safety.—
Jillian Deutsch,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
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In signing Díaz and Tucker, Los Angeles addressed two areas of weakness by throwing money at the top option on the market.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paralysis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralysis. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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