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
  • Opponents of the death penalty say Robertson’s case undermines claims that executions deter murder.
    — David Fischer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • An instructor who demands agreement with a pro-Israel position undermines intellectual freedom just as surely as one who demands agreement with an anti-Israel position.
    — Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of undermines
Verb
  • If one connection weakens, Halo can use other available links to preserve connectivity.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Precipitation is expected to gradually taper off Thursday afternoon as the storm system moves east and weakens.
    — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • Until, suddenly, the life drains from his eyes, sometimes for barely a second, and returning before anyone else in the scene notices.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The all-in-one dock cleans the spinning dual mops with hot water, dries them with warm air to prevent musty smells, and automatically drains and refills the water tank.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of drains
Verb
  • Instead of occupying both sides with large cooling vents, air enters toward the front of the station and exhausts through the rear.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
  • If the low-breadth market finally exhausts itself and rolls over, your capital at risk is mathematically capped at that 3%.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhausts
Verb
  • One that wears flawlessly for three weeks, makes your hands look beautiful and instantly lifts your mood?
    — Lucy Abbersteen, Allure, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Photographed by Willy Vanderperre, Vogue, April 2026 Sora Choi wears an LBD from Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of wears
Verb
  • The facility dehydrates fruit and holds it for over seven days without a variance or HACCP plan.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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 Oct. 2026.

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