1
as in crippling
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
a blizzard paralyzed the city for two days
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
The Islamic Republic has shut down the internet and cut off telephone communications, paralyzing the country.
—
Shahrnush Parsipur, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
But even before their deaths and ensuing public outcry, James Beard Award–winning chef Sean Sherman saw fear paralyzing the city’s food community.
—Serena Maria Daniels, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Feb. 2026
The Marvel series is a surprisingly tender meditation on perfectionism, performance, and the paralyzing fear of not being enough.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 27 Jan. 2026
The region is grappling with a winter storm that is paralyzing activity in the area with freezing precipitation on its roads, discouraging shoppers from heading out to stores.
—Brian Womack, Dallas Morning News, 24 Jan. 2026
An inspiration to all is assistant manager of excursions Kineret Munoz, who hasn’t let a paralyzing car accident dampen her spirit of adventure one little bit.
—Sarah Marshall, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
Rows sit silent at Karmel Mall as the immigration crackdown terrifies customers and workers, paralyzing the economic hub for Minneapolis’s largest Somali population.
—Sarah Raza, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
Another grant recipient, Chelsi Gearty, was an alfalfa farmer near Wilson County when a piece of equipment fell on her, paralyzing her from the waist down.
—Elizabeth Zavala, San Antonio Express-News, 12 Jan. 2026
At the end of his first year as CEO, a blizzard known as Winter Storm Elliott triggered an operational meltdown, stranding thousands of Southwest customers at the height of the holiday season, paralyzing the company’s point-to-point network, and plunging the company into a profit-killing crisis.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Shahrnush Parsipur, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
But even before their deaths and ensuing public outcry, James Beard Award–winning chef Sean Sherman saw fear paralyzing the city’s food community.
—Serena Maria Daniels, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Feb. 2026
The Marvel series is a surprisingly tender meditation on perfectionism, performance, and the paralyzing fear of not being enough.
—Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 27 Jan. 2026
The region is grappling with a winter storm that is paralyzing activity in the area with freezing precipitation on its roads, discouraging shoppers from heading out to stores.
—Brian Womack, Dallas Morning News, 24 Jan. 2026
An inspiration to all is assistant manager of excursions Kineret Munoz, who hasn’t let a paralyzing car accident dampen her spirit of adventure one little bit.
—Sarah Marshall, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
Rows sit silent at Karmel Mall as the immigration crackdown terrifies customers and workers, paralyzing the economic hub for Minneapolis’s largest Somali population.
—Sarah Raza, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
Another grant recipient, Chelsi Gearty, was an alfalfa farmer near Wilson County when a piece of equipment fell on her, paralyzing her from the waist down.
—Elizabeth Zavala, San Antonio Express-News, 12 Jan. 2026
At the end of his first year as CEO, a blizzard known as Winter Storm Elliott triggered an operational meltdown, stranding thousands of Southwest customers at the height of the holiday season, paralyzing the company’s point-to-point network, and plunging the company into a profit-killing crisis.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyzing
Verb
-
With temperatures well into the teens and 20s, the ice storm on the southern side will be crippling in terms of travel conditions, trees and power outages.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Continue reading … ‘BACK TO COVID’ – Minnesota restaurant owners say ICE enforcement is crippling their businesses.—
,
FOXNews.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Larter's Angela has been put through the wringer on the second season of Landman, from getting into an explosive battle with Thornton's Tommy over her period to getting arrested for incapacitating two health inspectors during a visit to her local nursing home.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Dysentery and scurvy ravaged the vessel, killing or incapacitating many on board.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Like the strung-up coyotes, the Ghoul typically looks normal from afar but terrifying up close.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
-
That’s terrifying on a whole different level.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Russian general was one of several GRU officials sanctioned by the United States in 2016 for wide-ranging malicious cyber activity directed at undermining US democratic processes.—
Anna Chernova,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Poor oversight puts care at risk by draining resources, enabling unsafe practices, and undermining long-term sustainability.—
Miki Kapoor,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
For over 20 years, the South African artist has been one of the genre’s true workhorses, building up an intimidating discography under names like Echologist and Beat Pharmacy and applying the style’s pearlescent, pulsating aesthetic to a range of frameworks.—
Andrew Ryce,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
-
And while this can be intimidating for beginner investors considering the drop in value in just a few weeks, savvy investors can exploit it by buying in low now.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Additional options allow toggling Anisotropic Materials, Chromatic Aberration, and Bloom, and disabling Global Illumination entirely.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Climate change itself has become a major risk factor, with heatwaves disabling power plants and droughts drying up hydro reservoirs.—
Scott Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
According to Bloomberg, analysts are already antsy about increasing prices scaring away customers, particularly as the cost of living continues to rise.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Most of that money would go to compensate ranchers for cattle eaten by wolves and for guard dogs, scaring devices or other means to keep them away from livestock.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paralyzing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyzing. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
