1
as in to cripple
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
a blizzard paralyzed the city for two days
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Quantity beats quality when you're paralyzed by perfection.
—
Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
And during trial, I was also threatened to be paralyzed by Elijah.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Our government, on the other hand, was paralyzed and in a state of shock.
—Ron Scherf, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Before recess, the lower chamber was paralyzed over a standoff regarding the Epstein files, when the House Rules Committee failed to tee up any bills for floor votes as the members disagreed over the Epstein files issue.
—Lauren Peller, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
And during trial, I was also threatened to be paralyzed by Elijah.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Our government, on the other hand, was paralyzed and in a state of shock.
—Ron Scherf, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Before recess, the lower chamber was paralyzed over a standoff regarding the Epstein files, when the House Rules Committee failed to tee up any bills for floor votes as the members disagreed over the Epstein files issue.
—Lauren Peller, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyze
Verb
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Killing, Corrupting, and Exiling of Science Under Hitler Widely regarded as the world’s research powerhouse in the 1920s and early 30s, German science was crippled by the Nazis starting in 1933, when Hitler gained power as Chancellor.—
Scott Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Deadly floods in Asia have devastated crops, crippling already fragile food production.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Trump administration members are going in a different direction, pressing for investigations of left-leaning groups that appear designed to intimidate, if not prosecute.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Dealing with debt collectors is a high-stress and intimidating experience.—
True Tamplin,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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By setting up permissions in advance, the agent (individual with the power to act on behalf of someone else) can step in immediately if the account owner is incapacitated.—
Kristin McKenna,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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In addition to grandmaster status, Myers is also a fourth degree in hosinsool, a self-defense technique used to protect, disarm and incapacitate an attacker, focusing on practicality to end a dangerous situation quickly with powerful strikes, locks and take-downs.—
Nicole Stracek,
Twin Cities,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Judy Hernandez’ husband Raul, a co-founder of the community group the Resurrection Project, dismissed those plans as a political stunt geared to create fear and frighten Spanish-speaking people.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Many of us are conditioned to think that our ultimate goal in life is to be with someone, so much so, that the mere thought of being alone frightens us.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Now, its Supreme Court is moving to hold a former president accountable for allegedly trying to undermine democracy and steer the country back toward authoritarian rule.—
Júlia Dias Carneiro,
NPR,
11 Sep. 2025
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Failing to meet that obligation undermines not only educational opportunity, but also the sovereignty, economic vitality, and cultural survival of Tribal nations.—
Marybeth Gasman,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In that episode, the college football fans are terrified to find themselves in Pro Town, a place where people go to yoga on Saturdays.—
Kristi Dosh,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Murillo recalled a Cuban grandmother whose grandchildren were terrified to go to school after their father was detained in front of them at their own home by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Foreign powers such as Russia and China, which challenge America and its allies from Europe to the Middle East to Taiwan and the South China Sea, have long been accused of exploiting such divisions through disinformation campaigns that inflame tensions and weaken confidence in American governance.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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But around the equinoxes, the natural buffer weakens.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Just enough time to snap some selfies and scare your housemates.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Their offense, outside their all-world quarterback, doesn’t scare anybody, not without Rashee Rice (suspension) and Xavier Worthy (injury), and with Travis Kelce in Year 13.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyze. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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