1
as in disabled
affected with paralysis
special ramps for paralyzed people in wheelchairs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
a seemingly paralyzed mayor sat by as the city's crime rate soared
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in crippled
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
a blizzard paralyzed the city for two days
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in frightened
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 paralyzed
Conor Wight, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Instead of killing him, the musket ball to the back paralyzed Captain Cunningham from the waist down.
—Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Ned’s father, Bob Hunt, visited the hospital that night to check on English and heard the news he was paralyzed from the neck down.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralyzed
Adjective
After colliding with a car that ended up in her racing path on Sunday, she's been left paralyzed from the neck down.
—Conor Wight, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Instead of killing him, the musket ball to the back paralyzed Captain Cunningham from the waist down.
—Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
The violence has paralyzed traffic and commerce in the area, with major employers unable to operate.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Ned’s father, Bob Hunt, visited the hospital that night to check on English and heard the news he was paralyzed from the neck down.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralyzed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyzed
Adjective
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The organization analyzed actuarial figures from the Social Security Administration and found that as many as 400,000 poor and disabled people and indigent older people could have their support cut or eliminated.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
There are buckets of disabled mobile phones.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Punk appeared helpless as Reigns picked him up.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
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The show’s name referred to their self-identification as helpless babies overwhelmed by the pressures of modernity, comforted only by coating themselves in fancy serums and moisturizers to recreate the peaceful, placental insulation of the womb.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That has crippled Iran’s two biggest non-oil exports, and higher prices have affected everything from plastics to pipes, to fabrics and packaging for groceries like milk, butter and cheese.—
Amir-Hussein Radjy,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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That has crippled Iran’s two biggest non-oil exports, and higher prices have affected everything from plastics to pipes, to fabrics and packaging for groceries like milk, butter and cheese.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Lee Cronin was both flattered and frightened when Jason Blum suggested titling his The Mummy reimagining as Lee Cronin’s The Mummy.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
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When to see a doctor Ashamalla stressed that people shouldn’t be frightened by every ache or pain.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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He was injected with the three-drug mix of an anesthetic, a paralytic and potassium acetate, which stops the heart.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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Health officials identified a paralytic polio case in 2022 in an unvaccinated adult in New York.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Based on the popular 1960s spy sitcom, this weak adaptation casts Steve Carell as a bumbling secret agent, with Hathaway as his more competent partner and developing love interest.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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In particular, researchers experimentally demonstrated quadsqueezing, a complex fourth-order quantum interaction previously considered too weak to observe.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Norman Hunter, 48, of Dolton, also was struck by a car while incapacitated, the medical examiner’s office said.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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The film, starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson and slated to hit theaters October 2, follows Lowen Ashleigh (Johnson), a struggling writer who is hired to complete a successful book series after its author, Verity Crawford (Hathaway), is incapacitated.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Monitor was always meant to be experienced with a room full of people being terrified together.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2026
-
No matter who was in charge, the Miami Dolphins franchise have been terrified of quarterback competition for nearly two decades, and that might explain why South Florida’s NFL franchise hasn’t won a playoff game in 25 years.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paralyzed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyzed. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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