as in to undermine
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
Relevance
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 petrify
The body was supposedly petrified by sap, and the loggers found several gold coins dating to the late 1600s, as well as pieces of paper identifying the person as Pierre D’Artagnan.
—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024
But Ingrid is petrified of dying and tries to convince Martha there is still plenty worth living for.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 5 Oct. 2024
Some three-dimensional metallic roses grew on their shiny reflective surfaces, with an important symbolism that served as a fit rouge for the entire collection: as fragile objects suddenly petrified, their hardened fragility was the designer’s own.
—Giorgia Feroldi, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2025
He was petrified by the thought of dying of cancer or some other disease whose senselessness disgusted him.
—Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petrify
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024
But Ingrid is petrified of dying and tries to convince Martha there is still plenty worth living for.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 5 Oct. 2024
Some three-dimensional metallic roses grew on their shiny reflective surfaces, with an important symbolism that served as a fit rouge for the entire collection: as fragile objects suddenly petrified, their hardened fragility was the designer’s own.
—Giorgia Feroldi, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2025
He was petrified by the thought of dying of cancer or some other disease whose senselessness disgusted him.
—Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petrify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petrify
Verb
-
Trump’s suggestion of easing economic restrictions has drawn sharp criticism from European allies, who warn that any premature normalization could undermine the unified Western stance on sanctions and harm Ukraine’s position in ongoing negotiations.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Provost Jenny Martinez is vastly more accepting of athletics than her predecessor, Persis Drell, who might have done more to undermine football than anyone else on campus.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This means banana particles can remain between teeth for an extended period, giving bacteria more time to produce acids that weaken tooth enamel.14 6.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
13 Aug. 2025
-
But Goolsbee said Trump’s immigration crackdown likely has affected population growth and the jobs numbers, but that doesn’t mean the labor market has substantially weakened.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Kennedy also helped promote beliefs that many childless adults on Medicaid, the federal-state program for low-income people, don’t work and thereby drain resources from the program.—
Stephanie Armour,
CNN Money,
5 Aug. 2025
-
When tethering to a smartphone, the battery is quickly drained and the phone can’t handle as many client devices, especially with data-intensive operations.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In a world that has been desiccated of its resources, and of its ability to care about each other, the people in this novel don’t cry anymore.—
Emily Temple
May 27,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2025
-
Avoid hot, exposed sites which will cause foliage to desiccate.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The choice is whether to exhaust yourself trying to conduct every note or to lay down a rhythm that enables your entire team to create something extraordinary together.—
Michael Hudson,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
-
My mother, exhausted, would simply tell us to go to bed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
If you are dehydrated, almost anything with liquid, including soup, milk or tea, will help.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Clinical and laboratory findings indicated the boy was dehydrated at the time of his cardiopulmonary arrest.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
30 July 2025
Verb
-
This relationship, when successful, tends to enervate mediating institutions that thwart the immediate desires of both the populist leader and the public.—
Cameron Hilditch,
National Review,
28 Feb. 2021
-
The saving grace of this often enervating thriller is that Doscher grants time for his actors to build character and intimacy, and both Pinto and Odom offer warm, affectingly natural performances as two people facing the end of their world.—
Teo Bugbee,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2020
Verb
-
The opera premiered in Rome at a time when castrati, or castrated male singers, took on treble roles; a papal decree forbade women from performing onstage.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2025
-
Tasks included repairing barbed wire fences, castrating animals and laying irrigation pipes, the suit alleges.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Petrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petrify. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share