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
April 21, 1976, when Porter was paralyzed after fracturing his neck in a collision during spring practice.
—
Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 11 May 2026
To him, these alliances resemble the tiny Lilliputians trying to bind the giant Gulliver with paralyzing strings.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 11 May 2026
Long periods of depression paralyzed me with grief.
—Jane Park, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Thousands of North American schools and universities were paralyzed Thursday after a ransomware attack on a key educational software provider.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 11 May 2026
To him, these alliances resemble the tiny Lilliputians trying to bind the giant Gulliver with paralyzing strings.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 11 May 2026
Long periods of depression paralyzed me with grief.
—Jane Park, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Thousands of North American schools and universities were paralyzed Thursday after a ransomware attack on a key educational software provider.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyze
Verb
-
Trump signed an executive order to impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, a move that could further cripple the island.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
-
But the sanctions haven't crippled Cuba's leadership, as some had hoped.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Noblet admitted she was intimidated directing Clooney for the first time.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
In my opinion, his words were aimed at intimidating female athletes into compliance.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
As the most unlikely scenario becomes a reality, the Walloon minister-president is incapacitated, and his daughter must sign documents in his name.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
19 May 2026
-
Campbell’s defense attorney Andrew Courossi claimed that all the encounters were consensual, saying that just because the women were intoxicated doesn’t mean they were incapacitated.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
But the future Hall of Famer is coming off ACL surgery, might lack mobility, and has a receiving corps that frightens nobody.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
-
This war has been a disaster for them, frightening away foreign investors, tourists and talent and burdening them with a future of huge new defense bills to deter Iran after the United States is gone.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Future decisions embracing those limits could further undermine the landmark voting law, long considered the crown jewel of the civil rights movement, and hamper the ability of voting rights groups and individual voters to file lawsuits alleging violations of the measure.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
-
Sandweg said one of the director's most underappreciated responsibilities is managing that internal fault line, ensuring that ERO's highly visible arrest operations do not undermine HSI's ability to cultivate the confidential informants and foreign partnerships on which its work depends.—
Philip Wang,
Time,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Myers nails the realistic teen who is a far cry from the unflappable Nancy Drew, screwing up plenty and often terrified of what she's gotten herself into.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
-
Vilnius resident Maryia Malevich said she was terrified when the alert sounded.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
The weakened 65-year-old cartel will remain with its five original members—Iran, Iraq, and Venezuela, as well as the Saudis and Kuwaitis—and six oil-producing African nations.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
-
This can weaken and compromise your home’s structural integrity, which could lead to safety hazards and expensive repairs.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
That same year, Wait Until Dark scared me to death when bad guys terrorized a blind Audrey Hepburn.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
22 May 2026
-
Jittery housemaid Miss Lamb (Thomasin McKenzie) proves less trouble to manage, as Fred scares the wits out of her with bogus talk of a ghoul wandering the Moors.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyze. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
