petrifies

verb

present tense third-person singular of petrify
as in undermines
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 petrifies Here, a source of primordial terror—the gaze that petrifies—is deflected by way of the highly polished shield that Perseus wields against the creature. — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026 The former slingshots between harmony and hysteria; the latter petrifies its beauty under a haze of ashy gray powder. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petrifies
  1. undermines
  2. weakens
  3. drains
  4. exhausts
  5. wears
  6. dehydrates
  7. castrates
  8. deadens
Verb
  • The coalition filed an amicus brief urging a federal judge in Idaho to block enforcement of the law while the lawsuit moves forward, arguing that the measure is unconstitutional and undermines the rights and safety of transgender students.
    — Darrielle Fair, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In pastel on brown paper, the loose, gestural application further undermines the boundaries between bodies.
    — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of undermines
Verb
  • In a turnaround, the danger is that cutting so deeply weakens the capabilities needed for recovery.
    — Ozan Ozerk, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Every decision that follows—from financial management to customer experience—either strengthens or weakens that identity.
    — Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • Every square inch of land on Earth’s surface receives precipitation, and much of it drains out, eventually, to an ocean or lake.
    — Natalie Wolchover, Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
  • This can be in a low spot in your yard that always drains poorly, or under a roof awning or near a gutter that is likely to overflow.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of drains
Verb
  • That’s because even ordinary winds – and far worse, storms and earthquakes – cause tall buildings to sway, which ruins people’s concentration, wrecks their mood, and even exhausts them.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 July 2026
  • Watching this scene, and much of the film, exhausts me.
    — Jenny Odell, Longreads, 2 June 2026
Definition of exhausts
Verb
  • An Arizona resident wears it to protect themselves from the sun.
    — Essence Wiley, InStyle, 8 Aug. 2026
  • In film, this hairstyle has become emblematic, notably in Bend It Like Beckham, where Keira Knightley wears it with a short curtain crop.
    — Elise Fabre, Glamour, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of wears
Verb
  • Despite the belief that coffee dehydrates you, experts say moderate coffee consumption can contribute to your daily water intake.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 20 July 2026
  • Alcohol worsens sleep quality and dehydrates the body, while caffeine has a diuretic effect that encourages fluid loss and can raise body temperature.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of dehydrates
Verb
  • By way of example, Morris points to a scene in Wiseman's 1993 documentary Zoo, in which an all-women surgical team at Miami zoo castrates a wolf.
    — Chloe Veltman, NPR, 16 Feb. 2026
Definition of castrates
Verb
  • Oppressively hot, lie-down-and-take-a-nap hot, hydration-break hot, the kind of hot that deadens feet.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
Definition of deadens

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Cite this Entry

“Petrifies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petrifies. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of petrifies for Spanish Speakers

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