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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of paralyzing
To him, these alliances resemble the tiny Lilliputians trying to bind the giant Gulliver with paralyzing strings.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 11 May 2026
These figures can feel abstract, even paralyzing.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 4 May 2026
Lane harrowingly captures the paralyzing fear of being ordinary, while Metcalf will overwhelm you with the sheer emotion of her performance as Willy’s fiercely loyal wife, Linda.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 May 2026
According to some experts, this paralyzing fear and desperation are factors that scammers exploit to put their criminal schemes into action.
—Albinson Linares, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026
Though brief, Yoon’s martial law decree threw the country into a severe political crisis, paralyzing politics and high-level diplomacy and rattling financial markets.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
The Congress also had in mind President Woodrow Wilson’s paralyzing stroke in 1919 and President Eisenhower’s serious illnesses, including a heart attack that disabled him for six weeks.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
But even selecting the best neutral for your space can be paralyzing.
—Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
In a region where weather swings from paralyzing ice storms to scorching summers, these elements carry weight.
—Mary Grace Granados
special Contributor, Dallas Morning News, 5 Mar. 2026
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 11 May 2026
These figures can feel abstract, even paralyzing.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 4 May 2026
Lane harrowingly captures the paralyzing fear of being ordinary, while Metcalf will overwhelm you with the sheer emotion of her performance as Willy’s fiercely loyal wife, Linda.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 May 2026
According to some experts, this paralyzing fear and desperation are factors that scammers exploit to put their criminal schemes into action.
—Albinson Linares, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026
Though brief, Yoon’s martial law decree threw the country into a severe political crisis, paralyzing politics and high-level diplomacy and rattling financial markets.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
The Congress also had in mind President Woodrow Wilson’s paralyzing stroke in 1919 and President Eisenhower’s serious illnesses, including a heart attack that disabled him for six weeks.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
But even selecting the best neutral for your space can be paralyzing.
—Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
In a region where weather swings from paralyzing ice storms to scorching summers, these elements carry weight.
—Mary Grace Granados
special Contributor, Dallas Morning News, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyzing
Verb
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But, in a separate incident reported by Reuters, it was revealed that Musk did cut service in eastern Ukraine around the same time, crippling a planned Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kherson.—
Ben Tarnoff,
Big Think,
23 Apr. 2026
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Eden outlined how, by crippling universities over charges of antisemitism, McMahon could also achieve larger goals.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
-
Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One of four passengers in Bain’s car, 22-year-old Destiny Betts, suffered incapacitating injuries and was transported to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial from the scene, according to the report.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The defendant at the trial, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, argued that its policy covered only losses resulting from a medically verified, incapacitating illness.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is breathtaking and also terrifying with a 4-year-old along.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
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Facing the endless Cylon onslaught in the void of space is terrifying even in 2D battles, but many of Scattered Hopes' gut punches happen during unexpected narrative events or tough choices that doom entire ship populations.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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My ongoing efforts entail identifying ways that AI is helping mental well-being, in addition to ways that AI is simultaneously undermining mental well-being, see the link here.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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Rivalry between India-China, competing interests of Iran-UAE, and divisions over Russia’s Ukraine war are undermining the alliance’s push to counter Western dominance.—
Sheikh Saaliq,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Beaulah orders Joaquin to clean up the mess, which involves dragging his brother to rehab and possibly intimidating Wes’s highly suspicious widow, Whitney (Olivia Rose Keegan), into leaving town.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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The learning curve, while gentler than tennis, can still feel intimidating in a social setting.—
Jeff Fromm,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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According to police, Cope refused to stop and continued fleeing after troopers attempted a PIT maneuver, disabling one state police patrol vehicle.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
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More than half of people 75 and older are living with disabling hearing loss.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
14 May 2026
Verb
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That combination—higher costs, fewer flights, and steady demand—has given airlines more room to raise fares without scaring off travelers.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
13 May 2026
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Schwarzenegger’s strategy energized Californians who wanted to punish incumbent Democrats, but avoided scaring too many of the state’s median voters.—
Conor Friedersdorf,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paralyzing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyzing. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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