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
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Recent Examples of petrify
So don’t go around being petrified of having your esophagus rupture someday.
—
Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Nearly every day brings a fresh breach of what were once thought to be the rules, moves that have thrilled his insurgent supporters and petrified his nervous opponents.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 30 Apr. 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
Medusa was known in ancient Greece for petrifying anyone who dared to look her in the eye, and has been seen as a personification of madness.
—Sarah Belmont, ARTnews.com, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for petrify
Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Nearly every day brings a fresh breach of what were once thought to be the rules, moves that have thrilled his insurgent supporters and petrified his nervous opponents.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 30 Apr. 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
Medusa was known in ancient Greece for petrifying anyone who dared to look her in the eye, and has been seen as a personification of madness.
—Sarah Belmont, ARTnews.com, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for petrify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petrify
Verb
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The remarks, delivered to Standard Bank executives and reported for the first time by Semafor, captured the growing unease among policymakers about how quickly the external shocks can undermine domestic planning, especially for an open, import-dependent economy like South Africa.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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Aleph and other Jewish chaplaincy groups say the chaplaincy system is being undermined by the Messianic movement, whose adherents may identify as Jews but are not recognized as such by any denomination of Judaism.—
Asaf Elia-Shalev,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Under this model, airlines, hotels, and other end-service providers may benefit, while intermediaries such as ticket booking platforms and price comparison websites may see their roles weakened.—
,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
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This weakens the plant and can cause dieback.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Use your hands to agitate the greens (this will dislodge any stubborn bits of grit or dirt), then drain and spin dry.—
Riley Wofford,
Martha Stewart,
5 Mar. 2026
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Improper Amount of Water Dogwoods prefer well-draining soil, and excessive watering can affect the number of flowers (and leaves) on the tree.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Try to get a look below the surface—if anything is broken, damaged, rotten, or desiccated, a simple trim could help.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
11 Feb. 2026
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Indoor conditions tend to be dry during the winter, so placing pots on top of saucers with pea gravel that is kept moist on a regular basis increases needed humidity and prevents leaves from desiccating.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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If you’re exhausted by life, you’re allowed to cancel plans — even fun ones — to restore your energy.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Although current statistics indicate reserves will be exhausted in 2032, there are still possible interventions to change that.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When you’re dehydrated, digestive issues like constipation are more likely to develop or worsen, which is why staying hydrated is so important.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
5 Mar. 2026
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If your footprints remain in the grass instead of the blades springing back to place, your lawn is dehydrated.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The results are often enervating though sometimes clumsy.—
Eli Enis,
Pitchfork,
3 Feb. 2026
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This may reframe his friend’s enervating habit.—
Hope Hunt,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After his conviction, Turing was chemically castrated.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Petrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petrify. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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