as in exhausted
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
groupthink and peer pressure have so petrified the thinking of the company's top brass that they haven't produced an innovative product in years
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Recent Examples of petrified
In group chats and meetings, Republicans are privately petrified the Iran war could cost them the midterms.
—
Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026
The only issue is his mother Laura (Wright), a woman who has lost a child once before and is petrified of a repeat.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petrified
Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026
The only issue is his mother Laura (Wright), a woman who has lost a child once before and is petrified of a repeat.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petrified
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petrified
Verb
-
Repole is exhausting, but never exhausted.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
But within a few years, they were exhausted from constant touring with occasional bickering.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a statement, District Attorney Alvin Bragg said prosecutors had interviewed dozens of witnesses and conducted an in-depth document review that significantly undermined the case presented at trial.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Trump’s attempts to interfere with the Fed’s decision-making has sparked concern the central bank’s credibility post-Powell is already being undermined.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Success is dependent on being planted in sunny locations with moist, well-drained, and neutral to slightly alkaline pH soils.—
Emily Leahy,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
-
Paying for that organization’s work, along with fees billed by lawyers on the case, sometimes drained people’s savings at a rapid pace, the Tribune found.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Verb
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People who have weakened immune systems and who experienced intense pain during an initial outbreak are also more susceptible to getting shingles a second (or even third) time.—
Petra Guglielmetti,
Glamour,
7 May 2026
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Meanwhile, the institutional guardrails have been weakened.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Excess sugar overwhelms the kidneys, which flush it — along with hydrating fluids — out through urine, leaving people dehydrated and trapped in a cycle of thirst.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
-
Many of the sloths delivered to the facility were dehydrated and underweight, the zoo said, but the animals are now eating and drinking properly.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Her flesh is desiccated and gray, her hands and feet are jagged claws, and her breath comes out in rasps.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Mahdi and Khadija had been struck by drought, and their bed was dry and desiccated, waterless down to its depths.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If the very successful 25-year-old Coward had been caught with a man, he could have been jailed or chemically castrated.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
-
After his conviction, Turing was chemically castrated.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hailey Bieber wore a custom Saint Laurent dress featuring a gold bodice and a blue skirt and a matching blue cape.—
Dalila Muata,
NBC news,
5 May 2026
-
Instead of opting for a body-hugging gown, Kim Kardashian went wore a bright orange metallic body plate from the ’60s designed by Allen Jones.—
Beatrice Dupuy,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Petrified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petrified. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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