1
as in cripples
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 frightens
to deprive of courage or confidence
the school board is paralyzed by the threat of lawsuits for just about everything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paralyzes
This paralyzes executives and creates fatigue.
—
Nick Ryan, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The smaller wasp quickly stings the spider, injecting its powerful venom that does not kill but permanently paralyzes it.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
Nick Ryan, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The smaller wasp quickly stings the spider, injecting its powerful venom that does not kill but permanently paralyzes it.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyzes
Verb
-
This inefficiency is invisible during small-scale development tests but completely cripples an application’s performance under the heavy load of a real production environment.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
An ongoing alien siege cripples the world’s militaries, infrastructure, and communication centers but Will can run Premiere Pro, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and remote control a Tesla all at the same time.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Within my book, one of the things that frightens me most is the fact that with censorship, there’s often not a clear red line, right?—
Fiction Non Fiction
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
-
What specifically frightens you?—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Lorenzo confronts and incapacitates Pepe, Sonia’s main ally, before facing Sonia herself.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The first time terrifies every founder.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The moped-like sound of the Shaheds whooshing above the rooftops still unsettles but no longer terrifies.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
18 May 2025
Verb
-
For Allen, this legal tool disproportionately undermines Black communities, eroding generational wealth and disconnecting families from their neighborhoods.—
Essence,
Essence,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The survey also undermines the argument that tariffs will simply be a one-time price adjustment.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
There’s something about kidnapping that scares the fear out of you, Goldberg-Polin says.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
-
While the odor scares lots of people off, there are ways to minimize it.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Yuhas said rubbing could trigger keratoconus, an eye condition that weakens the cornea.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
30 Sep. 2025
-
And the thymus gland, the producer of white blood cells, shrinks and weakens over time.—
Jocelyn Solis-Moreira,
Flow Space,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With a name inspired by unity, strength and joy, Zayu transforms on the pitch as a striker, showcasing exceptional ingenuity and agility that intimidates defenders.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paralyzes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyzes. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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