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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
  • His silly walk undermines not only his dignified wardrobe but also the very idea of a professional persona.
    — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2026
  • That undermines the important fight against genuine antisemitism.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of undermines
Verb
  • Chronic diseases become more common, and resistance to infection weakens.
    — Venki Ramakrishnan, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026
  • When one of those systems weakens, there is a knock-on effect that ripples into the workplace – and not always in a good way.
    — Stacey Zolt Hara, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • Once your washer drains, that water becomes wastewater alongside everything flowing from sinks, showers, toilets and dishwashers.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Not Improving Drainage Mums won’t thrive in soil that drains poorly and stays too soggy.
    — Lynn Coulter, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of drains
Verb
  • If a bureaucratic process exhausts whatever time a citizen has available, then benefits are lost or rights are denied.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of exhausts
Verb
  • Underneath a Blossom-style hat, the model wears a set of enormous mismatched silver earrings that graze the shoulders of her sharp black blazer.
    — Julia Hobbs, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Outside of Sezane, the queen of Spain often wears shoe designs by Aquazzura, Calzados Picón, Carolina Herrera, Hugo Boss, Magrit and more.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of wears
Verb
  • This fine white powder is an abrasive substance that cuts the exoskeleton of spiders, ants, fleas, and other bugs, which dehydrates and kills them over time.
    — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 19 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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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petrified
petrifies
petrify
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Cite this Entry

“Petrifies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petrifies. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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