immobilize
verb
im·mo·bi·lize
i-ˈmō-bə-ˌlīz 
immobilized; immobilizing; immobilizes
: to make immobile: such as
a
: to reduce or eliminate motion of (the body or a part) by mechanical means or by strict bed rest
b
: to prevent freedom of movement or effective use of
the planes were immobilized by bad weather
c
: to withhold (money or capital) from circulation
Examples of immobilize in a Sentence
Doctors immobilized her wrist by putting it in a cast.
I was immobilized by fear.
Recent Examples on the Web
Euroclear, a securities depository in Belgium, holds most of the Russian assets immobilized in the EU.
—
Olesya Dmitracova, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Breakups can be agonizing, even immobilizing; sometimes, wallowing is the ideal way forward.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
Now, the new vitrification facility, a US$10-billion engineering project built to immobilize that high-level waste in glass, has turned its first 5,500 liters into inert, permanent canisters.
—New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2025
When temperatures hit below freezing, the 30s or 40s, that slows them down or immobilizes them.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for immobilize
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Olesya Dmitracova, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Breakups can be agonizing, even immobilizing; sometimes, wallowing is the ideal way forward.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
Now, the new vitrification facility, a US$10-billion engineering project built to immobilize that high-level waste in glass, has turned its first 5,500 liters into inert, permanent canisters.
—New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2025
When temperatures hit below freezing, the 30s or 40s, that slows them down or immobilizes them.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for immobilize
Cite this Entry
“Immobilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immobilize. Accessed 24 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
immobilize
verb
im·mo·bi·lize
im-ˈō-bə-ˌlīz
immobilized; immobilizing
: to fix in place : make immobile
Medical Definition
immobilize
transitive verb
im·mo·bi·lize
variants
also British immobilise
immobilized also British immobilised; immobilizing also British immobilising
: to make immobile
especially
: to fix (as a body part) so as to reduce or eliminate motion usually by means of a cast or splint, by strapping, or by strict bed rest
immobilizing a fractured bone by a cast and continuous traction
immobilize an injury
immobilize all patients with a suspected neck or spine injury
Legal Definition
immobilize
transitive verb
im·mo·bi·lize
i-ˈmō-bə-ˌlīz
immobilized; immobilizing
: to make immobile
specifically
: to turn (movable property) into immovable property (as by incorporating it into a building)
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