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
Meteorologists said the storm is the strongest in a decade, dumping more than 2 feet of snow in parts of the metropolitan Northeast, shattering accumulation records in places, immobilizing transit and even leading the United Nations to postpone a Security Council meeting.
—
Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Meteorologists said the storm is the strongest in a decade, dumping more than 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow in parts of the metropolitan Northeast, shattering accumulation records in places, immobilizing transit and even leading the United Nations to postpone a Security Council meeting.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
The vehicle was immobilized when another patrol car slammed into it near the Lake Junaluska Golf Course, officials said.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 17 Feb. 2026
Gray Davis, 23, of Fort Lauderdale, recently posted a video of himself capturing and cooking an iguana that was immobilized during Florida's recent frigid temperatures.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for immobilize
Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Meteorologists said the storm is the strongest in a decade, dumping more than 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow in parts of the metropolitan Northeast, shattering accumulation records in places, immobilizing transit and even leading the United Nations to postpone a Security Council meeting.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
The vehicle was immobilized when another patrol car slammed into it near the Lake Junaluska Golf Course, officials said.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 17 Feb. 2026
Gray Davis, 23, of Fort Lauderdale, recently posted a video of himself capturing and cooking an iguana that was immobilized during Florida's recent frigid temperatures.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for immobilize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for immobilize
Verb
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Williams was paralyzed in the crash.—
Karen Morfitt,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
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Inky Johnson left college football due to an injury that paralyzed his right arm.—
Haley Sawyer,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and Congressman Shri Thanedar called on the 25th Amendment to be invoked, which would ensure an orderly transfer of power if the president is incapacitated.—
Julia Avant,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
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Instead of using explosives, most attacks used carbon fiber bombs that incapacitated the facilities instead of destroying them.—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The effective closure of the strait has led to major disruptions to the world’s energy flows, sending oil prices above $100 per barrel and threatening to cripple many economies that rely on energy from the Middle East.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
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Ten feet of flooding would cripple highways along Manhattan’s edges and damage vital infrastructure, including transit links to the airports.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Long-range drone and missile strikes have been a key element of the conflict as both Kyiv and Moscow seek to degrade the other's economy and undermine their ability to prosecute and fund the ongoing war.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
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However, those efforts could be undermined by a recent increase in 2-year yields that threatens to compress excess spreads, according to Bank of America.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Immobilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/immobilize. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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