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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of helpless
Sharks often become bycatch – entangled in fishing nets not intended for them, they are rendered helpless and face certain death.
—
Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
The child was helpless against the power of the surging surf, injured while tossed by the waves.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
American society—grotesquely unequal and divided, helpless before its demagogic and oligarchic manipulators—is no longer a stranger to the dark ambiguities of lopsided economic progress.
—Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
Up until the issuing of the judge’s temporary restraining order, many of its opponents described feeling helpless about a project that, in their eyes, had an air of inevitability.
—Matthew Stolle, Twin Cities, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for helpless
Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
The child was helpless against the power of the surging surf, injured while tossed by the waves.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
American society—grotesquely unequal and divided, helpless before its demagogic and oligarchic manipulators—is no longer a stranger to the dark ambiguities of lopsided economic progress.
—Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
Up until the issuing of the judge’s temporary restraining order, many of its opponents described feeling helpless about a project that, in their eyes, had an air of inevitability.
—Matthew Stolle, Twin Cities, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for helpless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helpless
Adjective
-
Much of his speech and remarks from other officials speaking at the convention Friday focused on party unity after a bruising primary season, where Democrats are hoping to capitalize on what could be a vulnerable year for Republicans.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 June 2026
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Is the balance sheet built to absorb volatility or vulnerable to it?—
Richard Polgar,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
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McConnell has always appeared to have a somewhat unsteady gate — a childhood bout of polio left him with a partially paralyzed leg.—
Eric McDaniel,
NPR,
14 June 2026
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Your stomach isn’t literally paralyzed — but it’s slowed down enough to cause real problems.—
Ryan Brennan,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
Adjective
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Another potential area of concern is that, because copper levels in the body are tightly regulated, excessive supplementation could theoretically contribute to toxicity or interfere with other minerals in susceptible individuals.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
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While familiar favorites such as peaches, plums, cherries, apricots, and nectarines fall into the stone fruit category, some are more susceptible to pests and diseases than others.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
13 June 2026
Adjective
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But his father contracted pneumonia in 2011, and after two decades in prison, his body was too weak to fight it.—
Yumi Asada,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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That gap is where signal blindness, misalignment, bottlenecks, execution delays and weak learning loops quietly convert external change into our fragilities.—
Christopher Washington,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Her parents comply with the new order, powerless in the face of big tech.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
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How would a shy, relatively powerless teenager see this powerful, young super-woman out there changing the world?—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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She was found incompetent to stand trial and was committed to the Missouri Department of Mental Health, according to a statement provided by Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Jazzlyn Johnson.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
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White, who was taken into custody by federal agents, was later found incompetent to stand trial on hijacking and murder charges.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Helpless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helpless. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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