1
as in to cripple
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
a blizzard paralyzed the city for two days
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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
Other dismissals at the agency have paralyzed its ability to do its work, including on 24 pending investigations into Musk's companies, the New York Times reported.
—
Ivana Saric, Axios, 21 Feb. 2025
The bullet entered the victim’s left clavicle area and damaged his spine, which paralyzed him from the waist down.
—Cameron MacDonald, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2025
Leaders who excel at leading through crisis understand the importance of focusing on what is actionable rather than being paralyzed by uncertainty.
—Scott Hutcheson, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
And yet much like the Democrats paralyzed by the chaos at home, the last three days have exceeded their worst nightmares.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
Ivana Saric, Axios, 21 Feb. 2025
The bullet entered the victim’s left clavicle area and damaged his spine, which paralyzed him from the waist down.
—Cameron MacDonald, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2025
Leaders who excel at leading through crisis understand the importance of focusing on what is actionable rather than being paralyzed by uncertainty.
—Scott Hutcheson, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
And yet much like the Democrats paralyzed by the chaos at home, the last three days have exceeded their worst nightmares.
—Zachary Basu, Axios, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyze
Verb
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About six weeks ago, hackers crippled the computer systems of the TV and mobile phone provider Dish Network.—
Shira Ovide,
Washington Post,
4 Apr. 2023
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Oakland Mills Coach: Chris Brewington Last season: Class 2A state champion Outlook: Losing the talent Oakland Mills did from last year’s outdoor season would cripple most programs, but the Scorpions have reloaded.—
Anthony Maluso,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Mar. 2023
Verb
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But, after an eight-year hiatus, teeing off in front of people was intimidating.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
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Antonio Reyes, a 21-year-old police say shot and killed six people as a teenager, is behind bars but remains a terror, intimidating guards and attempting to kill fellow inmates.—
Michael Loria,
USA TODAY,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Nicholson’s Sinatra, meanwhile, was left incapacitated in a hospital bed after being shot by Jane (Nicole Brydon Bloom), the double agent who also murdered Billy (Jon Beavers).—
Jackie Strause,
The Hollywood Reporter,
4 Mar. 2025
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Since the inauguration, Rubio, Musk and Marocco have taken dramatic steps to incapacitate USAID, the largest foreign aid donor in the world, by firing its employees and halting operations.—
Brett Murphy,
ProPublica,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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On the streets, conservative protesters, frightened that the left could win the next election, have rallied to Yoon.—
ROBERT E. KELLY,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Feb. 2025
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That frightened stray kitten forgot her fears and moved up on that ball of paper and batted it across the floor and then batted it again.—
Carole Wendt,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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There are eight issues that have begun to undermine the stock market's shaky support.—
John S. Tobey,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
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His brave stand, like the legendary Dutch hero whose finger in the dike blocked a flood, still holds back the efforts of Putin, Xi Jinping, and their allies to undermine democracy — in the Baltics, Poland, Western Europe, and Taiwan, and in Trump’s United States.—
Trudy Rubin,
The Mercury News,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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They are devastated by what has happened, and terrified of what could happen if the current ceasefire collapses and the war and bombing resumes.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
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The very idea of going to the Oscars on acid sounds terrifying AF, but so does coming off acid in the middle of the Oscars, which also happened to Parker and Stone.—
Lester Fabian Brathwaite,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Fed officials are closely monitoring inflation and the labor market for signs of a potentially weakening economy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2025
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But the Trump administration's new cuts further weaken a banking watchdog that has been sounding the alarm for years about its decreasing ability to prevent future banking crises.—
Maria Aspan,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In 2023, a bear barged into a bakery in Avon, scared employees and helped itself to 60 cupcakes before ambling away.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2025
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Wise infuses a nurturing maturity and vulnerability in Nicole that scares Roger, and challenges him to confront his unhealthy relationship habits and general indecisiveness.—
Morgan A. Grain,
Essence,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyze. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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