paralyze
verb
par·a·lyze
ˈper-ə-ˌlīz 
ˈpa-rə-
paralyzed; paralyzing
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
Evelyn WhiteheadExamples 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
Moving Forward With Strategic Confidence Economic uncertainty should not paralyze your business's strategy.
—David Zybin, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Mao’s violent mass movement shut down schools, paralyzed the government, shattered the economy, destroyed religious and cultural relics – turmoil that only subsided after the leader’s death in 1976.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
Horn was left partially paralyzed by the tiger attack and, after a brief comeback in 2010, the pair retired from show business.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
One woman who crashed while transporting five migrants, leaving two dead, one brain-dead and one paralyzed from the waist down, was sentenced to eight years in prison.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
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David Zybin, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Mao’s violent mass movement shut down schools, paralyzed the government, shattered the economy, destroyed religious and cultural relics – turmoil that only subsided after the leader’s death in 1976.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
Horn was left partially paralyzed by the tiger attack and, after a brief comeback in 2010, the pair retired from show business.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
One woman who crashed while transporting five migrants, leaving two dead, one brain-dead and one paralyzed from the waist down, was sentenced to eight years in prison.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
Cite this Entry
“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paralyze. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
paralyze
verb
par·a·lyze
ˈpar-ə-ˌlīz
paralyzed; paralyzing
1
: to affect with paralysis
2
: to make powerless or unable to act, function, or move
Medical Definition
paralyze
transitive verb
par·a·lyze
variants
or British paralyse
paralyzed or British paralysed; paralyzing or British paralysing
: to affect with paralysis
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