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
Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 3 June 2026
With the royalties, Lillian purchased their paralyzed son Glenn a home of his own.
—Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 1 June 2026
Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 8 June 2026
During The Andy Griffith Show’s third season, McNear suffered a stroke that paralyzed the left side of his body and necessitated a two-year leave from the series.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralyzed
Adjective
Anita Carrington is launching a nonprofit named after her son Ny'Leek Ellison, who died two months ago from complications stemming from the crash, which happened last year at 9th and Tilghman streets and left him paralyzed from the neck down.
—Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 3 June 2026
With the royalties, Lillian purchased their paralyzed son Glenn a home of his own.
—Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 1 June 2026
Verb
His left side was partially paralyzed.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 8 June 2026
During The Andy Griffith Show’s third season, McNear suffered a stroke that paralyzed the left side of his body and necessitated a two-year leave from the series.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralyzed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyzed
Adjective
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The department’s special education office ensures states comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which guarantees access to education for disabled students.—
Alia Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
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For example, states are weighing cuts to in-home care, a change that could mean the difference between a disabled child being able to live with their parents or being forced to move to a residential care facility.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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Over the course of a 60-yard run, Maradona danced past opponents, escaped challenges and left English defenders helpless before beating the goalkeeper with a clinical finish.—
Cesar R. Torres,
The Conversation,
17 June 2026
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Arturo has grown used to driving by traffic stops, then circling back to move his friends’ and neighbors’ abandoned cars to their helpless families left behind.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Candidates whose public image depends on favorable coverage can be crippled by bad headlines.—
Matthew Shelter,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
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The protest largely crippled the country’s center, with highways closed and public transportation halted by the massive crowds in both Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv metro area.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Dolma told me that when the wind turbines were being built, their noise frightened her livestock and carried across the valley, disturbing neighbors during windy times.—
Sanggay Tashi,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
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Hunters often lit blazing fires, which disoriented and frightened the elk, and as many animals as possible were killed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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Assuming that the account in her journal is true, her father goes out and drinks himself into a ‘paralytic’ state.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
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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
Adjective
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But lingering high ticket prices combined with weaker teams might mean sparse attendance.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
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Tokyo wants to appear to be fighting a weak yen, while welcoming it in private.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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According to the law enforcement investigation, Garcia activated her Taser seven times in a row in about a minute, with the State Patrol concluding that three to four of those activations occurred after Tomlinson was already incapacitated by the initial Taser deployments.—
Brian Maass,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
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The lieutenant governor is first in line for succession if a governor is incapacitated.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
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In the immediate days after the flood, West devoted herself to getting food, gift cards, clothing, and money into the hands of her Hispanic neighbors—no matter their status—who were terrified by the law enforcement that had swarmed into Hunt.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
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Besides, Principal McGee is a classic Saturn authority figure — she's composed, responsible, image-conscious and secretly terrified that the entire school is one bad decision away from public embarrassment.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paralyzed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyzed. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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