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
All were helpless to slow Carolina’s running game.
—
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
This is obvious enough in the contrast between the aggressive takedown in humor and the helpless surrender in tears.
—Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025
The series also starred Portia de Rossi as the family's layabout daughter, Lindsay; David Cross as her aspiring actor husband, Tobias; Alia Shawkat as their teen daughter, Maeby; Jessica Walter as the family's elitist matriarch, Lucille; and Tony Hale as the dynasty's helpless youngest son, Buster.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Sep. 2025
With its single Xenomorph antagonist, its cramped environment, and its fairly helpless cast of characters, a video-game adaptation sounds like an exercise in pure dourness.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for helpless
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
This is obvious enough in the contrast between the aggressive takedown in humor and the helpless surrender in tears.
—Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025
The series also starred Portia de Rossi as the family's layabout daughter, Lindsay; David Cross as her aspiring actor husband, Tobias; Alia Shawkat as their teen daughter, Maeby; Jessica Walter as the family's elitist matriarch, Lucille; and Tony Hale as the dynasty's helpless youngest son, Buster.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Sep. 2025
With its single Xenomorph antagonist, its cramped environment, and its fairly helpless cast of characters, a video-game adaptation sounds like an exercise in pure dourness.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for helpless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helpless
Adjective
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In fact, the term itself was an epithet throughout the founding era, a way to describe ignorant and easily deceived popular majorities, perpetually vulnerable to demagogues.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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The Jamaican government issued mandatory evacuation orders on Sunday for the most vulnerable coastal communities, per CNN.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In addition, the left side of his face became paralyzed.—
Kimberly Nordyke,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Oct. 2025
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In August, Elon Musk’s Neuralink expanded to the UK with a clinical study testing its brain chip to help paralyzed patients control devices through thought.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Washington only had one offensive possession in the third quarter and were susceptible to punts in the fourth.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Relief on that levy—which stacks on top of Liberation Day tariffs—could be a boon for the Asian nation at a time when domestic demand is weak.—
Bloomberg,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
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There, interactions between streams of liquid iron generate a magnetic field one quintillion times more powerful than that of an ordinary lab magnet (but thousands of times weaker than the Sun’s).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The uncertainty and high stakes surrounding major events like natural disasters and election outcomes often leave people feeling powerless, which can heighten anxiety—especially when they’re personally impacted.—
Sandra Rose Salathe,
Flow Space,
29 Oct. 2025
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Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the city is powerless to stop a state contractor’s controversial plan to convert a former West Roxbury nursing home into a homeless shelter for families and migrants as community opposition intensifies.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The premise has the potential for slapstick silliness, as an incompetent Seoul family fumbles its way through opening a hunting lodge in the Korean countryside.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
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Lauren was also charged with misdemeanor battery and theft in June 2020, per online court records reviewed by PEOPLE; that case was discharged after she was found incompetent to stand trial.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Helpless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helpless. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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