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
Now 8 years old, Deepanwita is paralyzed, unable to talk.
—
ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Among those people paralyzed, 5% to 10% die when their breathing muscles stop functioning.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
Emt had been an all-star high school athlete, an Army West Point cadet and a UConn basketball walk-on before a drunk driving incident paralyzed him from the waist down at 25 years old.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 10 Mar. 2026
After surviving a 1981 assassination attempt that paralyzed his right hand, Khamenei served as Iran’s president, brutally repressing dissent.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralyze
ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Among those people paralyzed, 5% to 10% die when their breathing muscles stop functioning.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
Emt had been an all-star high school athlete, an Army West Point cadet and a UConn basketball walk-on before a drunk driving incident paralyzed him from the waist down at 25 years old.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 10 Mar. 2026
After surviving a 1981 assassination attempt that paralyzed his right hand, Khamenei served as Iran’s president, brutally repressing dissent.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 10 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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As with other Cosby accusers, Donna Motsinger alleges that Cosby incapacitated her with some sort of drug to facilitate the attack, according to court documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.—
Victoria Bekiempis,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
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The biggest development was the discovery of an audio signal Regan could use to incapacitate the monsters.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If the Cayenne Turbo GT proved SUVs could handle like sports cars, the Taycan Turbo GT proved EVs could frighten supercars.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
19 Mar. 2026
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His dribbling, direct running style and finishing frighten defenders and light up the biggest stages.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
3 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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Viewers are also introduced to Marjorie (Blair Beeken), the activities lead at Oak Canyon Ranch, as well as Rockin’ Grandma’s sole remote worker, web designer Claire (Rachel Kaly), who appears to be terrified by the sun and wholly unnerved by other human beings.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
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As 1994 approached, the United States was on the verge of hosting the World Cup — but national soccer officials were terrified that the home team was about to humiliate itself on a global stage.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
17 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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But, for whatever reason, something has scared FSG off.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
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And while the lack of pass rush production in college should rightfully scare teams away from Faulk, his size and run-game ability provide a stable floor to work with early in his career.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyze. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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