1
as in to cripple
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
a blizzard paralyzed the city for two days
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to intimidate
to deprive of courage or confidence
the school board is paralyzed by the threat of lawsuits for just about everything
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paralyze
Quantity beats quality when you're paralyzed by perfection.
—
Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
And during trial, I was also threatened to be paralyzed by Elijah.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Our government, on the other hand, was paralyzed and in a state of shock.
—Ron Scherf, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Before recess, the lower chamber was paralyzed over a standoff regarding the Epstein files, when the House Rules Committee failed to tee up any bills for floor votes as the members disagreed over the Epstein files issue.
—Lauren Peller, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
And during trial, I was also threatened to be paralyzed by Elijah.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Our government, on the other hand, was paralyzed and in a state of shock.
—Ron Scherf, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Before recess, the lower chamber was paralyzed over a standoff regarding the Epstein files, when the House Rules Committee failed to tee up any bills for floor votes as the members disagreed over the Epstein files issue.
—Lauren Peller, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyze
Verb
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Killing, Corrupting, and Exiling of Science Under Hitler Widely regarded as the world’s research powerhouse in the 1920s and early 30s, German science was crippled by the Nazis starting in 1933, when Hitler gained power as Chancellor.—
Scott Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Deadly floods in Asia have devastated crops, crippling already fragile food production.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Trump administration members are going in a different direction, pressing for investigations of left-leaning groups that appear designed to intimidate, if not prosecute.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Dealing with debt collectors is a high-stress and intimidating experience.—
True Tamplin,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Another note that came up in the responses to this question is that everyone, of any age, should make sure that there are plans in place for a friend or relative to take care of the dog if the owner is incapacitated or dies.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
18 Sep. 2025
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel needs to incapacitate Hamas in the city to avoid a repeat of the October 7 attack that ignited the war.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There are liberals in media, but the corporations are now either controlled by the right wing or frightened of it.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
20 Sep. 2025
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Notwithstanding the endless parade of ghosts, demons, serial killers and at least one Mothman, Haunted Hotel is mostly not trying to frighten you.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This slow adoption stems from a low tolerance for errors, past disappointments with AI and a belief that years of legal training shouldn't be undermined by machine learning—all valid perspectives widely discussed in the industry.—
Matthew Sole,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Here's one simple mistake that can undermine all your pasta-making efforts.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In that episode, the college football fans are terrified to find themselves in Pro Town, a place where people go to yoga on Saturdays.—
Kristi Dosh,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Murillo recalled a Cuban grandmother whose grandchildren were terrified to go to school after their father was detained in front of them at their own home by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Federal Reserve is closely watching spending trends as policymakers debate a path for interest rate cuts — with the first trim expected Wednesday — but signs of a weakening labor market loom over the economy.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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While the greenback has depreciated against other major currencies this year, with the dollar index tumbling over 10%, those currencies have also weakened in value relative to gold, Dalio said, noting that gold has become the second largest reserve currency globally.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Just enough time to snap some selfies and scare your housemates.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Their offense, outside their all-world quarterback, doesn’t scare anybody, not without Rashee Rice (suspension) and Xavier Worthy (injury), and with Travis Kelce in Year 13.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyze. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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