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
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Recent Examples of paralysis
Cawthorn had his feet on the dashboard when their vehicle crashed into a concrete barrier, causing partial paralysis for Cawthorn.
—
Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2025
Sunstein warns against paradoxes, where well-meaning but rigid rules lead to enforcement paralysis.
—Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Schnabel, as any artist would, must relate to Alighieri’s relationship to failure and artistic paralysis.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025
By standing apart from Brussels' paralysis, President Nawrocki demonstrates that Poland speaks with clarity, strength, and purpose at a moment when hesitation only serves the enemy.
—Sławomir Cenckiewicz, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralysis
Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2025
Sunstein warns against paradoxes, where well-meaning but rigid rules lead to enforcement paralysis.
—Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Schnabel, as any artist would, must relate to Alighieri’s relationship to failure and artistic paralysis.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025
By standing apart from Brussels' paralysis, President Nawrocki demonstrates that Poland speaks with clarity, strength, and purpose at a moment when hesitation only serves the enemy.
—Sławomir Cenckiewicz, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralysis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralysis
Noun
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But disability claims are more complicated than ordering toothpaste, according to SSA officials and experts, and Social Security’s customer base is older and more likely to have an intellectual disability than the average Amazon Prime member.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
8 Sep. 2025
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Students with disabilities whose families earn up to 500% of the federal poverty guidelines — $160,750 for a family of four — would be prioritized first.—
Lina Ruiz
September 8,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The first cohort of seniors to have contended — not always enthusiastically — with a digital society has reached the age when cognitive impairment becomes more common.—
Paul Spann,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
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This impairment to the display image from the rearview camera can reduce the driver's view and potentially increase the risk of a crash.—
Olivia Evans,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Symptoms can include a rash and flu-like symptoms, with some people going on to experience arthritis, facial palsy, pain, irregular heartbeats and other worsening symptoms.—
Grace Gavilanes,
People.com,
31 July 2025
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The Emmy-winning composer died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles following an eight-year battle with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), Clausen’s daughter told the Hollywood Reporter.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
31 May 2025
Noun
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It could be argued that this trio of managers followed each other at United because their strengths answered the previous manager’s weaknesses.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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The weakness was most pronounced on the goods-producing side of the economy.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paralysis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralysis. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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