as in to paralyze
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
town councils felt immobilized by the powers newly granted to the state legislation
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Recent Examples of immobilize
This biological soil crust immobilizes shifting dunes and establishes a nutrient-rich substrate essential for the successional development of plant life.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Jan. 2026
Combined with modern synthetic fibers, the down immobilizes warm air and slows its escape.
—Longji Cui, The Conversation, 26 Dec. 2025
Euroclear, a securities depository in Belgium, holds most of the Russian assets immobilized in the EU.
—Olesya Dmitracova, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Breakups can be agonizing, even immobilizing; sometimes, wallowing is the ideal way forward.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for immobilize
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Jan. 2026
Combined with modern synthetic fibers, the down immobilizes warm air and slows its escape.
—Longji Cui, The Conversation, 26 Dec. 2025
Euroclear, a securities depository in Belgium, holds most of the Russian assets immobilized in the EU.
—Olesya Dmitracova, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Breakups can be agonizing, even immobilizing; sometimes, wallowing is the ideal way forward.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for immobilize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for immobilize
Verb
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The region is grappling with a winter storm that is paralyzing activity in the area with freezing precipitation on its roads, discouraging shoppers from heading out to stores.—
Brian Womack,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Jan. 2026
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Travelers at Miami International Airport should expect delays and cancellations Friday through the weekend as a winter storm is forecast to paralyze much of the country.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Prior to its passage, nine presidents were at least temporarily incapacitated by health issues and six died, according to Britannica, creating questions around interim leadership and transfer of power.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
20 Jan. 2026
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Larter's Angela has been put through the wringer on the second season of Landman, from getting into an explosive battle with Thornton's Tommy over her period to getting arrested for incapacitating two health inspectors during a visit to her local nursing home.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In 2021, a record-shattering outbreak of cold in Texas crippled the state’s electric grid, a meltdown blamed in large part on failures in its gas infrastructure.—
Kristi Swartz,
AJC.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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Widespread power outages, dilapidated equipment, and a lack of spare parts from absent foreign firms crippled operations.—
Scott Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That changes the nature of those devices and undermines the reason to buy an iPhone in the first place.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Even for a politician known for erratic policy shifts, this swap—of longtime democratic partners that have sacrificed much for America’s benefit in exchange for an authoritarian regime intent on undermining it—is bizarre.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Immobilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/immobilize. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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