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
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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Iranian missile attacks this month crippled a key industrial center in Qatar, which produces about one-third of the world’s helium.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
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By the mid-1980s, both sides were targeting oil shipments to cripple each other’s economies.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Traditionally, doxing refers to the release of someone’s personal information—a home address or phone number—with the intent to intimidate or to encourage others to retaliate.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
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General Daily Insight for March 27, 2026 Having fun can make intimidating schedules much easier to handle.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
27 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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Kent’s departure quickly became a flashpoint inside conservative media, with some praising him for taking a stand and others accusing him of undermining the administration during wartime.—
Steve Mollman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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Time for Warren Buffett to get the owners in the Casa Grande ballroom and run a cost-benefit analysis on the value of undermining the league’s integrity in a sport in bed with gambling against the price of paying officials.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
30 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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But the president contends there is no excuse for the lack of participation now that Iran's navy has been sunk and its air defenses severely weakened.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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In the state’s view, that weakens or muddies the legal boundary between the two types of gambling venues.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 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 1 Apr. 2026.
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