1
as in to cripple
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
a blizzard paralyzed the city for two days
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to intimidate
to deprive of courage or confidence
the school board is paralyzed by the threat of lawsuits for just about everything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 paralyze
Dean Kahler, 19, was permanently paralyzed by his injury.
—
Kalyan Singhal, Baltimore Sun, 5 May 2025
Moving Forward With Strategic Confidence Economic uncertainty should not paralyze your business's strategy.
—David Zybin, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Mao’s violent mass movement shut down schools, paralyzed the government, shattered the economy, destroyed religious and cultural relics – turmoil that only subsided after the leader’s death in 1976.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
Horn was left partially paralyzed by the tiger attack and, after a brief comeback in 2010, the pair retired from show business.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
Kalyan Singhal, Baltimore Sun, 5 May 2025
Moving Forward With Strategic Confidence Economic uncertainty should not paralyze your business's strategy.
—David Zybin, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Mao’s violent mass movement shut down schools, paralyzed the government, shattered the economy, destroyed religious and cultural relics – turmoil that only subsided after the leader’s death in 1976.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
Horn was left partially paralyzed by the tiger attack and, after a brief comeback in 2010, the pair retired from show business.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyze
Verb
-
About six weeks ago, hackers crippled the computer systems of the TV and mobile phone provider Dish Network.—
Shira Ovide,
Washington Post,
4 Apr. 2023
-
Oakland Mills Coach: Chris Brewington Last season: Class 2A state champion Outlook: Losing the talent Oakland Mills did from last year’s outdoor season would cripple most programs, but the Scorpions have reloaded.—
Anthony Maluso,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Mar. 2023
Verb
-
Democrats have said the Trump administration is trying to intimidate them out of performing their role overseeing how the executive branch implements laws.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
-
The guys who are willing to intimidate by hurting people will always win.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
To pry the babies away from their mothers, poachers often kill or incapacitate the mothers and their troops, prosecutors said in the release.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Thousands more were injured or incapacitated by the cold weather.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
By sharing a visual insight into their space, Spencer hopes people won’t be frightened by the unknown.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
22 May 2025
-
Meanwhile, in the real world, Netflix’s release strategy continues to frighten and confuse.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
19 May 2025
Verb
-
Things could have been better still had Leclerc’s race not been undermined by the timing of the two safety cars.—
Dan Cancian,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
-
Trump has pursued policies that have repeatedly undermined the agenda of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—and show that divisions between the United States and Israel are widening.—
Daniel Byman,
The Atlantic,
24 May 2025
Verb
-
He was covered in an oily substance, terrified, and wouldn’t eat.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
24 May 2025
-
But what has terrified Rob Free, the president of the LIRR, the busiest railroad in the country, carrying 75 million passengers a year and running 461 daily trains to Penn, is that operating on just three tubes is a terribly risky prospect.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
Bias, inaccuracies and missing values can all weaken model reliability.—
Tor Constantino,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
-
Coercing democratic allies such as Canada or Denmark more broadly weakens trust in U.S. alliances; threatening Panama reawakens fears of imperialism throughout Latin America; crippling the U.S. Agency for International Development undercuts the United States’ reputation for benevolence.—
Robert O. Keohane,
Foreign Affairs,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
The employee said to not shoot the bear and advised him to call Public Safety to scare it away, officials said, adding that what likely attracted the bear to the man’s home were food items, including cat food and unclean grills.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
25 May 2025
-
This is the second bill DeSantis has signed in Florida on swatting, or making false police reports to scare victims by sending law enforcement to their home.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyze. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share