1
as in disabled
affected with paralysis
special ramps for paralyzed people in wheelchairs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
a seemingly paralyzed mayor sat by as the city's crime rate soared
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in crippled
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
a blizzard paralyzed the city for two days
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in frightened
to deprive of courage or confidence
the school board is paralyzed by the threat of lawsuits for just about everything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paralyzed
Tim Neville, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026
The devastating tragedy of the death of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, allegedly at the hands of their son Nick, has left Hollywood paralyzed with grief.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 15 Mar. 2026
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Among the suitors vying for her affection were Brad Ledford, who was the driver in the car accident that paralyzed former congressman Madison Cawthorn; Another, Clayton Johnson, was formerly engaged to Lana Del Rey.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralyzed
Adjective
Greg Durso, who is now 40, suffered a sledding accident in 2009 that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
—Tim Neville, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026
The devastating tragedy of the death of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, allegedly at the hands of their son Nick, has left Hollywood paralyzed with grief.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
Its drone and missile attacks on neighboring countries and on container ships hoping to transit the Strait of Hormuz have paralyzed the Persian Gulf region.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Among the suitors vying for her affection were Brad Ledford, who was the driver in the car accident that paralyzed former congressman Madison Cawthorn; Another, Clayton Johnson, was formerly engaged to Lana Del Rey.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralyzed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyzed
Adjective
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Other social welfare programs have safety valves to protect weak, incapacitated or disabled clients from being exploited by people in power.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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South Dakota lawmakers plan to learn more about emergency medical services, Native American health care and services for disabled people ahead of the next legislative session.—
Makenzie Huber,
States Newsroom,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Weaponized incompetence, or the practice of being so helpless that the labor simply falls on someone else, has long been a feature of domestic life.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
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But Lumet and screenwriter Frank Pierson ease up on the laughs as Sonny’s predicament grows more helpless, allowing the audience to feel his desperation as the drama barrels toward a tragic finale.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The prisoner releases come as Cuba experiences at least a partial reprieve from the energy crisis that has crippled the island.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Iranian missile attacks this month crippled a key industrial center in Qatar, which produces about one-third of the world’s helium.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The marsupial escaped from Sunshine Farm in Necedah, a village about 90 miles away from Madison, on March 25, after being frightened by barking dogs, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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Chesney had escaped from an outside enclosure on March 25, after being frightened by some unknown barking dogs.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Health officials identified a paralytic polio case in 2022 in an unvaccinated adult in New York.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
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The paralytic effect typically lasts for four to six minutes.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The slide appears to have involved a thick slab of soft snow breaking loose at a weak layer in the snowpack, the report said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
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Endowed not only with a privileged birthright but—unlike the actual princes over in England, who had weak chins and went bald young—the physical stature to match?—
Jeffrey Eugenides,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That succession is triggered when the chief of staff is incapacitated or removed from their position.—
Steve Beynon,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
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One was incapacitated and recovering from surgery at a Carmichael surgery center in April 2011.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Residents of Tehran, the Iranian capital, say they are exhausted by the bombs that have battered their city on a daily basis and terrified of the security checkpoints that have popped up looking for spies.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
28 Mar. 2026
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He was terrified after hearing stories about people dying in the Oklahoma County jail, which was by then recognized as one of the deadliest in the nation.—
Brianna Bailey,
The Frontier,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paralyzed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyzed. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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