1
as in to cripple
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
a blizzard paralyzed the city for two days
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paralyze
Among the suitors vying for her affection were Brad Ledford, who was the driver in the car accident that paralyzed former congressman Madison Cawthorn; Another, Clayton Johnson, was formerly engaged to Lana Del Rey.
—
Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
In 2022, a young unvaccinated man in New York was paralyzed by the virus.
—Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026
Danny Golden, a Chicago police officer who was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in 2022, received a home courtesy of the group.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Skarsgård plays her husband, Jan, who works on an oil rig and is paralyzed in an industrial accident.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
In 2022, a young unvaccinated man in New York was paralyzed by the virus.
—Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026
Danny Golden, a Chicago police officer who was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in 2022, received a home courtesy of the group.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Skarsgård plays her husband, Jan, who works on an oil rig and is paralyzed in an industrial accident.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyze
Verb
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Companies that export goods to, or import them from, the Middle East are crippled, as global supply chains are interrupted.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
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This capability allows Iran to position a disguised vessel off America’s coast, launch a nuclear warhead high into the atmosphere to cripple our grid and then sink the ship to obscure its origins.—
Chuck DeVore,
Twin Cities,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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All the while, Iran might be able to continue to block oil from moving through the strait by intimidating shipowners with drone and missile strikes or mines laid by small boats or even traditional dhows.—
Nicholas D. Kristof,
Mercury News,
21 Mar. 2026
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In May 2025, Peralta-Quintana was charged with intimidating and retaliating against a witness, and he was convicted on those counts as well, the DA said.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One was incapacitated and recovering from surgery at a Carmichael surgery center in April 2011.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
23 Mar. 2026
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At the time, the DA's office said Lynch's status would be reviewed in one year, unless he is found to be no longer incapacitated before then.—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Grete is frightened of her brother, of course.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Israel knows women and babies were tortured, burned and posed in inhuman ways for one reason — to frighten.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And Wright will need to explain how the administration’s latest emergency measure to keep oil flowing, a temporary sanctions waiver on Iran itself, won’t undermine US military objectives.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
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From a consumer standpoint, the denial of being able to watch preferred games on account of college football broadcast exclusivity undermines fan interests.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Since his detainment, Maria said that she's been terrified of leaving the home.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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He was terrified after hearing stories about people dying in the Oklahoma County jail, which was by then recognized as one of the deadliest in the nation.—
Brianna Bailey,
The Frontier,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For the country’s leadership, weakened militarily and more isolated than ever, inflicting economic suffering has become the most powerful weapon available.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
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Continuous support could theoretically weaken muscles, so experts advise mixing exo use with traditional ergonomics and exercise.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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During the first phase, last spring, before DHS got the infusion of new money, Noem led a shock-and-awe campaign aimed mostly at scaring people into leaving.—
Nick Miroff,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
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At the time, local hunters blamed the Ping for scaring away game.—
Andrew Coletti,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyze. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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