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
No matter the scenario, Victor portrays PTSD as a paralyzing force with accuracy and grace—an all-too-rare combination.
—
Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 29 Dec. 2025
Since being paralyzed from a 1973 car accident, Kafka, alongside his wife, Stephanie Thomas, prioritized seeking dignity for those with disabilities and helping others adjust to their new lives.
—Alana Wise, NPR, 27 Dec. 2025
At the same time, there’s the internal challenge of staying open and attentive to what people are living through, without letting the weight of their circumstances paralyze you or numb you.
—Time Photo Department, Time, 23 Dec. 2025
Munson was paralyzed on impact and suffocated in a fire that ensued.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 29 Dec. 2025
Since being paralyzed from a 1973 car accident, Kafka, alongside his wife, Stephanie Thomas, prioritized seeking dignity for those with disabilities and helping others adjust to their new lives.
—Alana Wise, NPR, 27 Dec. 2025
At the same time, there’s the internal challenge of staying open and attentive to what people are living through, without letting the weight of their circumstances paralyze you or numb you.
—Time Photo Department, Time, 23 Dec. 2025
Munson was paralyzed on impact and suffocated in a fire that ensued.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyze
Verb
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Both have endured crippling US sanctions that have precipitated economic collapses.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
7 Jan. 2026
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In November 2021, while massing troops along its border with Ukraine, Russia threatened to cripple GPS if NATO got in the way.—
Letters to the Editor,
Washington Post,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ryan Thornton, 37, of Racine, was initially charged in October in Dane County with stalking and misdemeanor counts of intimidating a victim and disorderly conduct.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Salerno claims her team was disqualified from the following meet, and then began to face intimidating stares from the trans athlete at public events.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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He is accused of slipping incapacitating drugs into victims’ food or drinks before assaulting them between 2021 and 2024.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
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In still other situations, lapses in common knowledge can incapacitate people who really, really need to work together.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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These political executions are a callous attempt by the authorities to frighten and silence an increasingly restive population no longer willing to accept their corrupt and oppressive rule.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Tens of millions of dollars have been spent to redefine reality and to convince our neighbors that this new age is something that should frighten them.—
TIME Video,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The video evidence also appears to undermine elements of the government’s narrative of what happened.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
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Environmental and labor leaders say the pause is costing thousands of jobs and undermining energy independence.—
Carolyn Gusoff,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Hodges managed to hang on to his baton but then found himself on all fours, surrounded by the mob, terrified that he would soon be torn apart.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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At another level, there does seem to be something absurd and even terrifying about the idea that someone who is not elected can become the leader of a country and then will be recognized as the leader of that country and receive the immunities afforded to heads of state.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With some estimates putting wave heights as much as 35 feet, weakened hatch covers would have been vulnerable to such waves.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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The years of horrific violence have weakened Sudan, plunging its institutions into chaos and making its population more vulnerable and poorer.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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After scaring off the animal, one of the hikers, a physician, attempted to revive Kovatch, but did not find a pulse.—
Outside,
Outside,
6 Jan. 2026
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Don’t let the tackiness of this primer scare you.—
Michelle Baricevic,
InStyle,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyze. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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