Definition of paralysisnext
as in disability
complete or partial loss of physical function (as motion or sensation) in a part of the body the car accident left one athlete with paralysis from the waist down

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of paralysis The first doesn’t have an element while the latter two have poison-paralysis and water, respectively. Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026 The country is already suffering from a severe economic crisis and only recently came out of a prolonged period of political paralysis, during which Hezbollah blocked successive attempts to install a president. Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026 Polio can attack the nervous system and can lead to irreversible paralysis and occasionally death due to respiratory failure. Alexis Wilkinson, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026 But information overload, resulting in paralysis by analysis in the batter’s box, is a real concern. Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for paralysis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralysis
Noun
  • Beneficiaries are people with limited income who are either blind, aged 65 and older, or have a qualifying disability.
    Asher Notheis, The Washington Examiner, 9 Mar. 2026
  • To qualify for Medicaid in Florida, a working-age adult without a disability must generally be caring for a child or an older or disabled family member and cannot earn more than 26% of the federal poverty level, or about $592 a month for a family of three.
    Daniel Chang, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Valdez receives one-on-one lessons using voice commands and touch guidance due to his vision impairment.
    Amy Stark Shireman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Investigators said impairment does not seem to be a factor.
    Lauren Pozen, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Jackson died in February at the age of 84 following a battle with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a condition similar to Parkinson's disease.
    CBS News, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
  • His health had been in decline for years due to progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disorder.
    Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The president's endorsement didn't clear the GOP crowded field to replace Greene — some observers cast that as a sign of weakness — but Fuller easily overcame other Republican contenders.
    Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Some policy defenders contend that the labor market weakness reflects adjustments to immigration restrictions rather than fundamental economic failure, positioning this as a deliberate policy choice rather than an economic failure.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Paralysis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralysis. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.

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