paralyze

verb

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par·a·lyze | \ ˈper-ə-ˌlīz

, ˈpa-rə- \

paralyzed; paralyzing

Definition of paralyze

transitive verb

1 : to affect with paralysis The snake's venom paralyzed the mouse.

2 : to make powerless or ineffective A strike would paralyze the industry.

3 : unnerve the paralyzing thing is the uncertainty— Evelyn Whitehead

4 : stun, stupefy I would paralyze the empire with the news!— Rudyard Kipling

5 : to bring to an end : prevent, destroy deadlock paralyzed action— F. A. Ogg & Harold Zink

Other Words from paralyze Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About paralyze

Other Words from paralyze

paralyzation \ ˌper-ə-lə-ˈzā-shən

, ˌpa-rə- \ noun

paralyzer \ ˈper-ə-ˌlī-zər

, ˈpa-rə- \ noun

paralyzingly \ ˈper-ə-ˌlī-ziŋ-lē

, ˈpa-rə \ adverb

Examples of paralyze in a Sentence

The snake's venom paralyzed the mouse. The air strikes have paralyzed the city's transportation system. The company was paralyzed by debt.

Recent Examples on the Web Tennessee uses a three-drug series to put inmates to death: midazolam, a sedative to render the inmate unconscious; vecuronium bromide, to paralyze the inmate; and potassium chloride, to stop the heart. — NBC News, 2 May 2022 Experts have warned that any disruption to Taiwan's chip supply could paralyze production of key equipment, impacting almost everyone in the world. — Eric Cheung, CNN, 6 Apr. 2022 Today, 76% of Ukraine’s children are considered fully vaccinated against polio, but that still leaves nearly 1 in 4 vulnerable to a disease that can paralyze children and cause death or lifelong disability. — Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2022 But that fix could paralyze the software in urban environments, where pedestrians are everywhere. — Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2022 Tennessee uses a three-drug series to put inmates to death: midazolam, a sedative to render the inmate unconscious; vecuronium bromide, to paralyze the inmate; and potassium chloride, to stop the heart. — CBS News, 22 Apr. 2022 Tennessee uses a three-drug series to put inmates to death: midazolam, a sedative to render the inmate unconscious; vecuronium bromide, to paralyze the inmate; and potassium chloride, to stop the heart. — NBC News, 22 Apr. 2022 The mayor of Canada's capital declared a state of emergency Sunday as protesters opposed to covid-19 restrictions continued to paralyze Ottawa's downtown area. — Compiled Democrat-gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 7 Feb. 2022 Military analysts had expected Russian forces to quickly destroy or paralyze Ukraine’s air defenses and military aircraft, yet neither has happened. — New York Times, 22 Mar. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'paralyze.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.