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 In April 2025, Lil Nas X announced in an Instagram Reel that he had been hospitalized for partial facial paralysis. Emily Blackwood, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025 This isn’t the first time a celebrity has dealt with facial paralysis. Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 15 Apr. 2025 The polio virus attacks the nervous system and often leads to paralysis of lower limbs and, in severe cases, the muscles that control breathing. Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025 Eric Dane Reveals if Cal Jacobs Will Return for 'Euphoria' Season 3: 'There's Gonna Be Redemption' ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rare degenerative disease that causes progressive paralysis of the muscles, according to the Mayo Clinic. Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for paralysis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralysis
Noun
  • Read More Dad keeps quiet about construction job, gets $270K in disability in NJ, feds say A man from Toms River, New Jersey, collected $270,933 in disability benefits while secretly working in construction, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
    Real-Time News team, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Students with disabilities graduated at a rate of 69%, still well below the statewide average.
    Erin Sjostedt, Baltimore Sun, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Trump scored 30 out of 30 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a test used to detect signs of dementia and cognitive impairment.
    Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Research must zero in on the causes of some of the most troubling impairments that can come with autism, such as self-injury, aggressive behavior and even catatonia, as noted by the Autism Science Foundation.
    Mark Kendall, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Embiid, though, was still battling injury throughout that series, which included Bell’s palsy.
    Scott Thompson, Fox News, 23 Oct. 2024
  • No serious side effects were reported during the trial period, but once the vaccine was released, Swiss officials saw a concerning uptick in cases of Bell’s palsy, a disease that causes weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles, often leading to a drooping or disfigured face.
    Stephani Sutherland, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • During periods of economic weakness when lending activity slows, consumers with high credit scores sometimes can take advantage of attractive offers.
    Russ Wiles, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • This move addresses one ongoing weakness with Bluesky: knowing who is real.
    Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025

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“Paralysis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralysis. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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