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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Long-range drone and missile strikes have been a key element of the conflict as both Kyiv and Moscow seek to degrade the other's economy and undermine their ability to prosecute and fund the ongoing war.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
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However, those efforts could be undermined by a recent increase in 2-year yields that threatens to compress excess spreads, according to Bank of America.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hungary is a major importer of Russian energy and the sanctions would have impacted the country's already weakening economy.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
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But instead, the resolution was further weakened to eliminate any reference to Security Council authorization — which is an order for action — and limit its provisions to the Strait of Hormuz.—
Greg Norman-Diamond,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Avoid heavy and poorly draining soil.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
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But the ongoing crisis is a shock to the current account, as oil and product inflows have drained, said Brad Setser, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank.—
Anniek Bao,Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Klosterman wondered if the recent heatwave would desiccate them.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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Mahdi and Khadija had been struck by drought, and their bed was dry and desiccated, waterless down to its depths.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Floyd also reasoned that the case shouldn’t be regarded as moot, even though the players have exhausted their NCAA eligibility.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
8 Apr. 2026
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The Horned Frogs must also replace key players who exhausted their eligibility in Big 12 Player of the Year Olivia Miles, Taylor Bigby, 6-7 center Kennedy Basham and Suarez.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Each bag filled with red lentils, long grain rice, dehydrated vegetables and a mix of vitamins contained enough for six meals.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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Their leaves will begin to shrivel up, and their stems and roots will look dehydrated and thin.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Campbell, the North Carolina folk singer, describes an enervating process marked by back-and-forth exchanges and lots of waiting.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
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Jenny deflected me with enervating ease.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Justin Bieber has had multiple stalkers, including a New Mexico man and his nephew who plotted to murder and castrate the pop singer in 2013.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
15 Mar. 2026
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After his conviction, Turing was chemically castrated.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Petrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petrify. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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