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
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Recent Examples of paralyzing
High-stakes performance reviews can be especially paralyzing.
—
Ruth Oh Reitmeier, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
During lockdown, Mendelsund was consumed by a deep and paralyzing depression.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 5 Aug. 2025
The tactic divided Republicans on the Rules panel, paralyzing the committee.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 23 July 2025
That conflict of interest was paralyzing when the state auditor worked for the governor and Cabinet instead of for the Legislature.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2025
After her oxygen level reached a hundred per cent, the nurse delivered paralyzing medication.
—Ayesha Khan, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Uncertainty about tariffs is paralyzing businesses who are unsure whether to hire and invest.
—David Goldman, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
While heavy gunfire was paralyzing Haiti’s capital in late February, a man using a fake name approached a 45-foot cargo container parked in a Fort Lauderdale lot.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025
Economic uncertainty is paralyzing business leaders.
—Peter Cohan, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Ruth Oh Reitmeier, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
During lockdown, Mendelsund was consumed by a deep and paralyzing depression.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 5 Aug. 2025
The tactic divided Republicans on the Rules panel, paralyzing the committee.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 23 July 2025
That conflict of interest was paralyzing when the state auditor worked for the governor and Cabinet instead of for the Legislature.
—Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2025
After her oxygen level reached a hundred per cent, the nurse delivered paralyzing medication.
—Ayesha Khan, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Uncertainty about tariffs is paralyzing businesses who are unsure whether to hire and invest.
—David Goldman, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
While heavy gunfire was paralyzing Haiti’s capital in late February, a man using a fake name approached a 45-foot cargo container parked in a Fort Lauderdale lot.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025
Economic uncertainty is paralyzing business leaders.
—Peter Cohan, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyzing
Verb
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Thomas’ absence has been crippling for the Giants in recent years.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
19 Aug. 2025
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More importantly, if just one lock were disabled or destroyed, the passage from east to west would be essentially inoperable, crippling the United States and its military defenses.—
Shoshi Parks,
Popular Science,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Instances of swatting have been plaguing the nation for years, with fake shooting threats frightening the public and forcing schools, hospitals, grocery stores, office buildings, and airports into temporary lockdowns.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This is not some bloodthirsty pirate contempt with conquering a pleasure planet like everyone thought, but a calculative master manipulator and tactician who knew the value of Kalgan and used it to acquire a larger prize — incapacitating the Empire’s attack forces.—
Rafael Motamayor,
Vulture,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
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On the same day, 100 cyclists, e-bike and dirt bike riders took over a Boston highway, terrifying local drivers.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The tonal whiplash you experience at that point, the sense that Barbarian can be genuinely terrifying one moment and weirdly funny the next, is what transformed the film into a cult hit.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Conversely, tax noncompliance could be the death knell undermining an otherwise strong application.—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Layered onto all of this is a political system in which priorities flip every few years, undermining the long-term planning and financing that such megaprojects demand.—
Ben Jones,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For contractors, welcoming verification may seem intimidating at first.—
Brynn Cooksey,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Extend your stay in Portorosso with the 2021 short Ciao Alberto, which follows Alberto working for the intimidating fisherman Massimo (Marco Barricelli).—
Sydni Ellis,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The study involved 198 adults with generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, a disabling form of anxiety that affects about 1 in 10 people over the course of a year.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
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For people in their retirement years, ages 65 to 74, nearly one in four experiences disabling hearing loss.—
Joseph Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Unlike other security systems that passively report break-ins to customers or police, Sauron security agents are constantly monitoring to provide real-time incident responses such as watching and scaring away a would-be robber via their speaker system.—
Victoria Feng,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Wednesday takes Enid’s Driver’s Ed lesson to go there, scaring the instructor.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paralyzing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyzing. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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