PARALYZES Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

paralyzes

verb

present tense third-person singular of paralyze

as in cripples

to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move a blizzard paralyzed the city for two days

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in frightens

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of paralyzes Kosowski, prosecutors theorized, killed Cozzi with succinylcholine, a fast-acting drug that paralyzes muscles, and threw his body in a Collier County dumpster during a drive to Miami. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026 The wasp gets its name from its reproductive cycle, where a female paralyzes a tarantula to serve as a live host for her larva. — Sean Donnelly, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026 Fear, like ignorance, shuts our eyes to and paralyzes our trust in God’s omnipotence, omniscience, and unfailing love for His children, whereas the understanding of God’s ever-present goodness removes the fear that generates suffering. — André Kisonga, Christian Science Monitor, 30 June 2026 These opportunists drown out the core mission, creating a cacophony of competing voices that confuses donors, crowd the inboxes of CEOs and members of Congress with colliding petitions, and paralyzes meaningful action by draining critical funding and attention away from the truly effective groups. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026 In fact, too much choice often paralyzes decision-making. — David Meade, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026 Once an octopus ambushes and bites its prey, the venom in its saliva paralyzes the prey, allowing the octopus to consume it. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026 Monster blizzard paralyzes Northeast with extreme snow, soaring power outages. — FOXNews.com, 23 Feb. 2026 For example, the curare plant poisons used by South and Central American hunters paralyzes the respiratory system. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyzes

Verb

Federal illegality further cripples operations with banking and tax burdens.

— Peter Su, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
In the final version of the film, Furiosa captures Dementus, cripples him, brings him back to the Citadel.

— Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026

Definition of cripples

Verb

The prospect of Sean Steur or Lewis Hall — whose contract situation Wilson refused to be drawn on, despite being asked three times — leaving is not something which frightens the hierarchy.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Penelope, too, is asked to occupy a landscape that frightens her, not only as a neurodivergent child in a neurotypical culture, but as a child now situated in an adult world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of frightens

Verb

Black Palace is set in 1888 London as an emerging tabloid media terrifies the public with lurid stories of infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026
What terrifies you about this moment and inspires you about this moment?

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of terrifies

Verb

Providing false or misleading information to law enforcement undermines those efforts and unnecessarily diverts officers and resources away from members of our community who may need immediate police assistance.

— Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
In this telling, the column contends that the president’s rhetoric trivializes public anxiety about potential catastrophic risks and undermines efforts to build serious safety frameworks.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of undermines

Verb

Each decision to move work overseas further weakens the economic conditions needed to sustain domestic capacity.

— George Whittier, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
However, Bernstein pointed out that even if the global AI trade weakens, India is unlikely to see any major reversal of foreign capital flows.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of weakens

Verb

Melanie Melanie came to this reunion prepared with both facts and a prosecutorial confrontation style that effectively intimidates all of her on-stage opponents.

— Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
In the five vignettes, James, as his character Eddie Horniman, intimidates various individuals while going through the clean-up, the sacrifice, the angle, the cut and the judgment — all steps of serving Stella Artois.

— Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of intimidates

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“Paralyzes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyzes. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of paralyzes

verb

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