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 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
  • While American fans were glad to have him back, the arbitrary way this decision was reached undermines the integrity of the sport.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026
  • The plaintiffs further insist that the NCAA allowing former G League players and other ex-pros to play undermines the association’s position that Borovicanin and his fellow plaintiffs can’t play.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of undermines
Verb
  • Fresh concrete is alkaline enough to shield the metal from rust, but carbonation gradually lowers its pH and weakens that protection.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 11 July 2026
  • As the sun grows lighter, its gravitational grip weakens, pushing the surviving planets outward into a wider orbit that could double their distance from the star, according to NASA.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • Nutrient leaching when water drains out of containers and baskets adds to the problem.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2026
  • The minerals are absorbed through the skin, boosting circulation and inducing a sweat that drains away the toxins.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
Definition of drains
Verb
  • Watching this scene, and much of the film, exhausts me.
    — Jenny Odell, Longreads, 2 June 2026
  • If the search for a large outdoor planter exhausts you—just get a terra-cotta planter.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 6 Apr. 2026
Definition of exhausts
Verb
  • Rodríguez Castro wears a stainless-steel version on his left wrist.
    — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • Team Visma-Lease A Bike’s Jonas Vingegaard currently wears the yellow jersey after two stages, while Mexico’s Isaac del Toro of UAE Team Emirates won his first Tour de France stage on Sunday afternoon.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of wears
Verb
  • 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
  • Pest Control Baking soda acts as a barrier that dehydrates slugs, causes ants to lose their scent trail, and keeps aphids away.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 30 May 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 16 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on petrifies

Nglish: Translation of petrifies for Spanish Speakers

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