1
as in vulnerable
lacking protection from danger or resistance against attack
after the storm we found a helpless baby bird that had fallen out of its nest
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in paralyzed
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
we watched, feeling helpless, as the vase slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of helpless
Locked away in an old house in Montana, her increasingly agitated and erratic behavior leaves her companion, Jackson, played by Pattinson, worried and helpless.
—
Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025
That has forced fewer service providers to handle more cases to pick up that slack, leaving many feeling overworked and helpless.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Nov. 2025
Her voice, a clear, singsong cadence that toddlers seem helpless to resist, has become, for millions of parents, the definitive soundtrack of early childhood.
—Samantha Barry, Glamour, 27 Oct. 2025
The Nuggets were helpless to stop it.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for helpless
Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025
That has forced fewer service providers to handle more cases to pick up that slack, leaving many feeling overworked and helpless.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Nov. 2025
Her voice, a clear, singsong cadence that toddlers seem helpless to resist, has become, for millions of parents, the definitive soundtrack of early childhood.
—Samantha Barry, Glamour, 27 Oct. 2025
The Nuggets were helpless to stop it.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for helpless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helpless
Adjective
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The team highlighted that perovskite materials remain vulnerable to moisture, oxygen, ultraviolet light, and temperature fluctuations, all of which degrade performance over time.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Nov. 2025
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Song, her actors, and her crew were in constant dialogue about their own romantic lives, prioritizing a level of vulnerable, authentic experience to inform Materialists’ complex modern spirit.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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In a heartbreaking video, a partially paralyzed dog is caught twitching his paws in his sleep, and internet users can’t stop sobbing.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
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After suddenly losing her voice in November 2022, Williams-Paisley was later diagnosed with a partially paralyzed vocal cord.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The deterioration in the labor market has been concentrated in payroll employment, which is the [datapoint] that is the most susceptible to demographic and immigration changes.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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However, Arizona's hot and dry desert climate made Gilbert susceptible to drought and wildfires, causing the low ranking in natural disaster risk.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Western countries could exploit weak points in supply chains for many of Russia's advanced fighter jets, including by tightening up sanctions as Ukraine strikes Russia's industrial facilities, according to a new report.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
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Respiratory difficulty, constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelids and a weak and altered cry are among the symptoms of infant botulism.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Lucas Paqueta equalised, Sven Botman slid the ball into his own net and then Tomas Soucek gilded the scoreline at the death and, through all of it, Newcastle were powerless.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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Quietly, evil collapsed, while Maloyan’s virtue stood firm against brutal force, rendering that force powerless.—
Jenni Fink,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Under California law, people who are found incompetent to stand trial must be sent to a state hospital or secure mental health care facility.—
Nathaniel Percy,
Oc Register,
7 Nov. 2025
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He was found to be incompetent to face the charge in August 2023, and later civilly committed for a mental illness.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Helpless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helpless. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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