as in undermining
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
groupthink and peer pressure have so petrified the thinking of the company's top brass that they haven't produced an innovative product in years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petrifying
Verb
-
Age proved to be a crucial issue ahead of the 2024 presidential election, undermining former President Joe Biden's bid for reelection as political rivals and many voters expressed concerns over his health and his fitness for office.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025 -
Trump has a recent history of stirring the pot, undermining the diplomatic victories Bessent and Greer secured with China.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In today’s housing market, even the lucky ones often face exhausting ordeals and need to stretch their budgets to land a home.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Betelgeuse, formally known as Alpha Orionis, will one day end its life in a spectacular supernova explosion upon exhausting the last of its fuel, which could be as bright as the full moon.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Some impersonated tax officers to frighten British pensioners into draining their life savings into suspicious bank accounts; others peddled irresistible student loan offers to American high schoolers.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Picking the Wrong Location Planting fruit trees in overly shady spots or poorly draining soil inhibits fruiting and makes your plants more susceptible to pests, diseases, and rot.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Washington — The Federal Reserve was already facing one of its most difficult battles, steering a shifting economy through a weakening labor market and stubborn inflation.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Far from expanding opportunity, this excessive wealth locks millions out of the chance to innovate and build, weakening growth for all.—
Scott Ellis,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Some of these values—such as a disciplined commitment to physical fitness—are good and, in my opinion, necessary correctives to the enervating distractions of 21st-century living.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Looming over all of it has been the sad, enervating situation with Alexander Isak, forever enshrined as a club legend by dint of Wembley last season but now beyond the point of tarnishing that legacy.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
10 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Of course, the heaviest anti-Shannon edit came from Sage, who noticed everything from the register of Shannon’s voice changing to her adversary being a giant shark wearing a cute seal mask.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Earlier in the day, Kardashian was spotted attending the All's Fair premiere in Paris wearing a baby blue vintage Dior by John Galliano gown from the house's Spring/Summer 2000 collection.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Now, Sora 2 might just be another online fad, a reality-deadening distraction that people will soon tire of.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Thin sound deadening The Enabling Technology prize went to CompositeEdge GmbH and ATA Mute BV for a new kind of sound deadening.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
16 Sep. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Petrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petrifying. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share