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
For years, the armies on the Western Front were immobilized by the combination of modern technology and antiquated tactics.
—
Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 1 May 2026
The same officer then stands on the back of the suspect’s knee to immobilize him.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
Forced to investigate, DeVito finds Caplan immobilized in an upstairs jacuzzi bathtub.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Her vehicle has been immobilized for one year.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for immobilize
Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 1 May 2026
The same officer then stands on the back of the suspect’s knee to immobilize him.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
Forced to investigate, DeVito finds Caplan immobilized in an upstairs jacuzzi bathtub.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Her vehicle has been immobilized for one year.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for immobilize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for immobilize
Verb
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In fact, too much choice often paralyzes decision-making.—
David Meade,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
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Public toilets stopped working, paralyzed without bank payments by mobile internet.—
Mary Ilyushina,
Washington Post,
13 May 2026
Verb
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As the most unlikely scenario becomes a reality, the Walloon minister-president is incapacitated, and his daughter must sign documents in his name.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
19 May 2026
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Campbell’s defense attorney Andrew Courossi claimed that all the encounters were consensual, saying that just because the women were intoxicated doesn’t mean they were incapacitated.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Trump signed an executive order to impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, a move that could further cripple the island.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
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But the sanctions haven't crippled Cuba's leadership, as some had hoped.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Future decisions embracing those limits could further undermine the landmark voting law, long considered the crown jewel of the civil rights movement, and hamper the ability of voting rights groups and individual voters to file lawsuits alleging violations of the measure.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
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Sandweg said one of the director's most underappreciated responsibilities is managing that internal fault line, ensuring that ERO's highly visible arrest operations do not undermine HSI's ability to cultivate the confidential informants and foreign partnerships on which its work depends.—
Philip Wang,
Time,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Immobilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/immobilize. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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