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
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
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But his personal and party polls are dismal, crippled by what critics and analysts say has been a series of unforced errors.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
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Just a few successful strikes could cripple the region’s oil and gas infrastructure for years if not decades, throwing the world, and the United States, into a prolonged economic crisis.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
10 May 2026
Verb
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The massive frame and comically long wingspan of Victor Wembanyama seemed to intimidate Randle, who spent most possessions either deferring to his teammates or forcing his own shot.—
Dane Mizutani,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
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To stand a chance, Cîrstea had to refuse to be intimidated by Sabalenka’s phenomenally powerful hitting and considerable aura.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Verb
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The detonation of a nuclear weapon in low-Earth orbit would likely destroy or incapacitate thousands of satellites, disabling critical military and civilian networks providing surveillance and communication services.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
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One shot him with a 40-millimeter round, which is designed to incapacitate people without killing them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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The question is whether this bill does so or instead sweeps innocent families into an overbroad administrative system that does little to improve child safety while undermining constitutional protections for parents.—
James R Mason,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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John blamed Steve for the Mac Division’s poor sales and lambasted him for undermining his authority.—
Geoffrey Cain,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Facing the endless Cylon onslaught in the void of space is terrifying even in 2D battles, but many of Scattered Hopes' gut punches happen during unexpected narrative events or tough choices that doom entire ship populations.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
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The phenomenon of lynching has always fascinated and terrified me, whether physical or mediated.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Verb
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As consumer activity has weakened, the central bank has warned about the growing misalignment between real sentiment and headline GDP growth.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
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Heat can shrink fabrics, fade colors and weaken elastic fibers, which shortens the life of garments that would otherwise hold up for years.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Don’t let the Frito pie flavor scare you away — Salt & Straw ice cream is known for its richness, packed with as much butter-fat content as possible — similar to Melt.—
Ella Gonzales
May 15,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 May 2026
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Over-regulating could scare more insurers away; under-regulating could inflate prices even more.—
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyze. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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