PETRIFY Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

petrify

verb

ˈpe-trə-ˌfī

Definition of petrify

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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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 former slingshots between harmony and hysteria; the latter petrifies its beauty under a haze of ashy gray powder. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Nov. 2025 You'll be petrified by the violence inflicted upon boys who only wanted a chance to pull their families out of financial duress and have an opportunity at a comfortable life afforded to most of us sitting in our seats. — Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 13 Sep. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for petrify

Recent Examples of Synonyms for petrify

Verb

State leaders have introduced Assembly Bill 1383, which undermines crucial PEPRA guardrails, granting an unfunded pension benefit increase to first responders by reducing their retirement age.

— Zachary Christensen, Oc Register, 24 July 2026
For American tech companies, free and comparable Chinese models like K3 threaten to undermine their own products.

— John Liu, CNN Money, 24 July 2026

Definition of undermine

Verb

That makes the hot and cold sides quickly equalize, clearly weakening electricity generation.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 19 July 2026
The Kospi Index has tumbled 25% since its June peak, resulting in a $1 trillion wipeout that threatens to weaken its global clout.

— Winnie Hsu, Fortune, 19 July 2026

Definition of weaken

Verb

The shattered standing forlornly by the podium at the end of a draining tournament, hearts broken, bodies exhausted, having to watch as the opposition receive the reward that England were agonisingly close to.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Ryan Fox took home the Claret Jug after draining a birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on Sunday.

— Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 19 July 2026

Definition of drain

Verb

By desiccating vegetation, the drought has already fueled severe wildfires, with 116,000 hectares burned in Spain and 42,000 hectares burned in France, according to the WWA report.

— Sanidhya Sharma, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Olive trees, desiccated from the Xylella fastidiosa bacterial epidemic, are consumed by fire and slump to the ground in a burnished black heap.

— Angelica Calabrese, Longreads, 7 July 2026

Definition of desiccate

Verb

With little time to recover on the ball, such sequences only serve to exhaust Argentina, running low on energy to exert such pressure themselves.

— Thom Harris, New York Times, 20 July 2026
This rule doesn’t apply to the high school class of 2022, many of whom exhausted their NCAA eligibility with the 2025-26 season.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of exhaust

Verb

Although caffeine has a mild diuretic effect, moderate amounts of caffeine generally isn’t dehydrating for most healthy adults.

— Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 21 July 2026
Regular consumption of caffeine up to 300 mg per day (about 16 ounces of coffee) does not significantly dehydrate the body.

— Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 21 July 2026

Definition of dehydrate

Verb

The impact of that shocking final scene is sufficient to send viewers out feeling enervated after what’s been a pretty desultory final act.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026
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

Definition of enervate

Verb

Earlier this month, on Monday, June 8, Municipal Court Judge Louis Sancinito found Lowe guilty of possessing the deer without a permit, interfering with a conservation officer attempting to confiscate the animal, and having Rudy illegally castrated.

— Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
Seemingly to help stave off temptation, a half dozen of the 18 male cult members who died had been surgically castrated, according to The New York Times, including Applewhite.

— Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 8 June 2026

Definition of castrate

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petrifies

petrify

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“Petrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petrify. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of petrify

verb

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