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
Fred Clasen-Kelly, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
The strike prevented civilians from traveling and paralyzed daily activity in areas where the ELN has influence.
—Rocío Muñoz-Ledo, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
Andrew Fedorov, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
Since being paralyzed from a 1973 car accident, Kafka, alongside his wife, Stephanie Thomas, prioritized seeking dignity for those with disabilities and helping others adjust to their new lives.
—Alana Wise, NPR, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyzed
Adjective
Robbers shot him in the back nearly two decades ago, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.
—Fred Clasen-Kelly, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
The strike prevented civilians from traveling and paralyzed daily activity in areas where the ELN has influence.
—Rocío Muñoz-Ledo, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
Verb
Early in November, my last surviving grandmother suffered a stroke, which paralyzed most of her body, leaving only her eyes and one arm fully mobile.
—Andrew Fedorov, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
Since being paralyzed from a 1973 car accident, Kafka, alongside his wife, Stephanie Thomas, prioritized seeking dignity for those with disabilities and helping others adjust to their new lives.
—Alana Wise, NPR, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyzed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyzed
Adjective
-
Patricia Stone, disabled, spoke from her hospital bed in their living room.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
9 Jan. 2026
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By October of that year, Do and other doctors working for Liberty began billing California’s Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund, a workers’ compensation fund for individuals already disabled or impaired at the time of a workplace injury, according to the plea agreement.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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People eventually outgrow the helpless-baby stage.—
Anna Louie Sussman,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
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Without money and without a means to earn it, women are helpless to determine the course of their own lives.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In Wrightwood, the recent torrential rainfall delivered devastating mudslides that have crippled the mountain town.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
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The pioneering college opened in 1885 and weathered difficult times early on, as the infamous winter freeze of 1894 destroyed orange groves throughout the state and crippled a key revenue source for Rollins, Lane wrote in his history of the school.—
Steven Walker,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And my father—lovable but imposing, a strapping six feet three inches tall with a thick, bristly mustache and a rumbling Sergeant Schultz accent that frightened my friends half to death—loved to tell stories.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Dec. 2025
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Fortune had reported in its investigation that people within the agency were frightened of examining Boring Company after two staffers who worked on the case had been disciplined.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
20 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The sight sends a paralytic tingle of alarm through her.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
30 Aug. 2025
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For the past decade, Sughra Ayaz has traveled door to door in southeastern Pakistan, pleading with parents to allow children to be vaccinated against polio as part of a global campaign to wipe out the paralytic disease.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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New orders contracted for a fourth month and export bookings remained weak, based on the ISM data.—
Reade Pickert Bloomberg,
Arkansas Online,
6 Jan. 2026
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Getting too little of either can lead to weak, brittle bones, and too much can also cause problems (like kidney stones or nausea).—
T'Keyah Bazin,
Verywell Health,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One caller said a delta-8 gummy incapacitated their adult son for several hours.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Another note that came up in the responses to this question is that everyone, of any age, should make sure that there are plans in place for a friend or relative to take care of the dog if the owner is incapacitated or dies.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Everyone was terrified of Friedkin.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
8 Nov. 2025
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Trump is terrified of the midterms, of Republicans losing control of the House or the Senate or both.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paralyzed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyzed. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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