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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of paralysis Most polio infections don’t cause symptoms, and fewer than 1 in 100 infections result in paralysis. Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025 But how do eels defy paralysis? Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2025 Your sleep paralysis demon is begging you to read Herculine. Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025 The condition causes sudden weakness or paralysis in muscles on one side of the face and is, in most cases, temporary, according to the Mayo Clinic. Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for paralysis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralysis
Noun
  • The order also instructs IDPH to publish its own, accessible vaccine guidance to the public, support school vaccination efforts, and work with local health departments, community health centers, disability organizations, and rural providers to encourage vaccination on a larger scale statewide.
    Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
  • There are, however, exceptions for students with disabilities who have individualized education programs.
    Arthur Jones II, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Others have linked pesticides to a range of behavioral and cognitive impairment in children.
    Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Both men were working at a commercial private property, police said, and the driver of the concrete truck cooperated with officers and showed no signs of impairment.
    John Aguilar, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Symptoms can include a rash and flu-like symptoms, with some people going on to experience arthritis, facial palsy, pain, irregular heartbeats and other worsening symptoms.
    Grace Gavilanes, People.com, 31 July 2025
  • The Emmy-winning composer died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles following an eight-year battle with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), Clausen’s daughter told the Hollywood Reporter.
    Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 31 May 2025
Noun
  • The Anglo-Saxons, who have been given the multiracial treatment by the BBC’s casting directors, are squabbling natives whose weakness invites foreign interference.
    Will Collins, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
  • The amendment’s most glaring weakness lies in Section 4, which addresses presidential incapacity when the president cannot or will not acknowledge their disability.
    Lynn Schmidt, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025

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“Paralysis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralysis. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

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