1
as in cripples
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
a blizzard paralyzed the city for two days
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in frightens
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 paralyzes
Fear, like ignorance, shuts our eyes to and paralyzes our trust in God’s omnipotence, omniscience, and unfailing love for His children, whereas the understanding of God’s ever-present goodness removes the fear that generates suffering.
—
André Kisonga,
Christian Science Monitor,
30 June 2026
These opportunists drown out the core mission, creating a cacophony of competing voices that confuses donors, crowd the inboxes of CEOs and members of Congress with colliding petitions, and paralyzes meaningful action by draining critical funding and attention away from the truly effective groups.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
28 June 2026
In fact, too much choice often paralyzes decision-making.
—
David Meade,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Once an octopus ambushes and bites its prey, the venom in its saliva paralyzes the prey, allowing the octopus to consume it.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
6 Mar. 2026
Monster blizzard paralyzes Northeast with extreme snow, soaring power outages.
—
FOXNews.com,
23 Feb. 2026
For example, the curare plant poisons used by South and Central American hunters paralyzes the respiratory system.
—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
7 Jan. 2026
Turning his challenge into a mission and helping others overcome what paralyzes them.
—
Isabella Kunde,
CBS News,
2 Dec. 2025
Earlier this year, Dane himself announced that he had been diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease, which gradually paralyzes the body by destroying the nerve cells that control muscle movement.
—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
25 Nov. 2025
André Kisonga,
Christian Science Monitor,
30 June 2026
These opportunists drown out the core mission, creating a cacophony of competing voices that confuses donors, crowd the inboxes of CEOs and members of Congress with colliding petitions, and paralyzes meaningful action by draining critical funding and attention away from the truly effective groups.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
28 June 2026
In fact, too much choice often paralyzes decision-making.
—
David Meade,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Once an octopus ambushes and bites its prey, the venom in its saliva paralyzes the prey, allowing the octopus to consume it.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
6 Mar. 2026
Monster blizzard paralyzes Northeast with extreme snow, soaring power outages.
—
FOXNews.com,
23 Feb. 2026
For example, the curare plant poisons used by South and Central American hunters paralyzes the respiratory system.
—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
7 Jan. 2026
Turning his challenge into a mission and helping others overcome what paralyzes them.
—
Isabella Kunde,
CBS News,
2 Dec. 2025
Earlier this year, Dane himself announced that he had been diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease, which gradually paralyzes the body by destroying the nerve cells that control muscle movement.
—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
25 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyzes
Verb
-
Federal illegality further cripples operations with banking and tax burdens.
-
In the final version of the film, Furiosa captures Dementus, cripples him, brings him back to the Citadel.
Verb
-
The thing that frightens me isn’t that machines will replace people.
-
What frightens scientists more than the sheer numbers are that the cuts are arbitrary and manifestly pernicious.
Verb
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The Martian tells the story of astronaut Mark Watney, who becomes stranded on Mars after a dust storm incapacitates him.
-
Lorenzo confronts and incapacitates Pepe, Sonia’s main ally, before facing Sonia herself.
Verb
-
Frankly, the thought of being beaten by the subscribers terrifies me.
-
Aubry Bracco is the kind of player who terrifies a certain (male) demographic of Survivor alumni.
Verb
-
Context that undermines sensational allegations is minimized.
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Despite that, the prequel undermines Elle’s Legally Blonde character arc and, ultimately, fails to break new ground.
Verb
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While the prospect initially scares him, the front house manager ends up accepting and is last seen embarking on his first-ever flight.
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Any loud sound just scares her terribly.
Verb
-
When the dollar weakens, commodity prices expressed in dollars tend to rise to maintain purchasing power parity for buyers operating in other currencies.
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But the corresponding upheaval is still catastrophic for any surrounding planets, which either get swallowed up by the expanding star, or drift into wider orbits as the star’s gravity weakens—some are flung out from the system entirely.
Verb
-
Any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates or interferes with airline crew members can lead to penalties of up to $43,658 per violation, according to the FAA.
-
The aura of the classical guitar intimidates me.
Cite this Entry
“Paralyzes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyzes. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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