paralyzing

verb

present participle of paralyze
1
as in crippling
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 frightening
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

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 paralyzing Though brief, Yoon’s martial law declaration plunged South Korea into a political crisis, paralyzing politics and high-level diplomacy while rattling financial markets. — ABC News, 9 July 2026 With endless criteria, knowing exactly what to ask for from a pair of jean shorts is paralyzing. — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 25 June 2026 His grief was crushing, paralyzing, calamitous. — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2026 The tiniest decisions were paralyzing. — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 Barricades erected on key roads have essentially isolated the city of La Paz, Bolivia’s seat of government, triggering fuel and food shortages, paralyzing transportation and preventing patients from reaching hospitals. — Paola Flores, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026 Not vague discomfort, but deep, paralyzing fear. — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 The disease can be paralyzing, or even fatal. — Ciara McCarthy 15, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 June 2026 Moorehead has followed Clark’s story from 2000, when the running back for Eisenhower High School suffered a paralyzing spinal cord injury in a game through his death in 2012. — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyzing
  1. crippling
  2. frightening
  3. incapacitating
  4. terrifying
  5. undermining
  6. intimidating
  7. disabling
  8. scaring
Verb
  • Florida didn’t have the cap space to work out the shorter term deal without crippling its ability to make other moves this offseason to enhance the roster.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
  • Eddie Marsan also delivers a sympathetic turn as the sad sack dad worn down by the effects of capitalism and sometimes crippling OCD.
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Definition of crippling
Verb
  • Powell tried to open the stall door, and then began fondling himself, frightening the 11-year-old, who tried to leave, but Powell blocked him from getting out.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 6 June 2026
  • This war has been a disaster for them, frightening away foreign investors, tourists and talent and burdening them with a future of huge new defense bills to deter Iran after the United States is gone.
    — Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Definition of frightening
Verb
  • The driver hits Leatherface in the head with a wrench, incapacitating him long enough for the driver to run away and Sally to jump into the cab of a passing pickup truck.
    — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026
  • Tabitha grabs one of the weird, spooky totem things and drives it through the chest of the scarecrow monster attacking Donna, killing it – or at least incapacitating it – and the scarecrows retreat.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Definition of incapacitating
Verb
  • These get forwarded across the internet, and soon masses of young people are surging into an urban plaza or park, often terrifying any adult who happens to be nearby.
    — Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
  • Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is breathtaking and also terrifying with a 4-year-old along.
    — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 17 May 2026
Definition of terrifying
Verb
  • The act grants the NCAA absolute control over athlete eligibility through this antitrust shield, undermining federal and state law, specifically Title IX and who can compete in the women’s category.
    — Katie Uhlaender OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
  • At least a dozen attacks on Ebola treatment centers and health workers in Congo’s Ituri province are undermining containment efforts, raising fresh alarm over safety at the outbreak’s epicenter.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of undermining
Verb
  • Although stony-faced and intimidating when first met, Stella has a softer side as well as reasons to be so bitter and brusque.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
  • Platner, for example, hung onto support from prominent Democrats even after a report of intimidating behavior toward girlfriends.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of intimidating
Verb
  • Every improvement in surveillance capability encourages new methods of avoidance, whether through disabling tracking devices, manipulating vessel identities, or exploiting gaps between different monitoring systems.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 16 July 2026
  • Not content to wait for local officials to strike down ALPR contracts, concerned citizens are taking matters into their own hands by disabling or cutting down Flock camera towers wherever they’re found.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 16 July 2026
Definition of disabling
Verb
  • For the past 18 months, soaring brisket and rib prices have forced Pig-Sty BBQ in Boynton Beach to walk a pricing tightrope, covering expenses without scaring away customers.
    — Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2026
  • In an article for Marie Claire, Rapinoe trotted out several common left-wing talking points aimed at scaring rational-thinking people into believing that keeping males out of women's sports is somehow bad for girls and women.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of scaring

Browse Nearby Words

paralyzes
paralyzing
paramedic
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Cite this Entry

“Paralyzing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyzing. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of paralyzing for Spanish Speakers

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