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petrifying

verb

Definition of petrifyingnext
present participle of petrify
as in undermining
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for petrifying
  1. undermining
  2. exhausting
  3. draining
  4. weakening
  5. enervating
  6. wearing
  7. deadening
  8. desiccating
Verb
  • Flynn’s intruder story The prosecution’s other primary focus has been on undermining Flynn’s story that an intruder killed his wife.
    — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The settlement resolved a pivotal case years in the making that sought to hold the tech giant accountable for the role its platforms played in undermining children's mental health.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of undermining
Verb
  • Commanders should seek positional advantages without exhausting their soldiers, manipulate the enemy’s movements when possible, and recognize when circumstances make pursuit or attack unwise.
    — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The dispute has become even more complicated because some members of the 2022 class pursued professional opportunities after exhausting their eligibility under the previous system.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of exhausting
Verb
  • One floor sink at the cook’s line was clogged and not draining due to oil and grease buildup.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • To set your lettuce up for success, plant it in an area with full sun and slightly acidic, well-draining soil.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of draining
Verb
  • Already, many import-dependent countries face shortages, fiscal pressure, and in some cases a difficult choice between cutting fuel subsidies and risking unrest or maintaining them and further weakening public finances.
    — RICHARD HAASS, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Long-range seasonal guidance analyzed by Severe Weather Europe shows the stratospheric circulation potentially weakening during January and February.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of weakening
Verb
  • 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
  • Jenny deflected me with enervating ease.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
Definition of enervating
Verb
  • Reinhart’s character, Olive Smith, is primarily seen wearing her lab coat, but outside of the laboratory, she is dressed in red, blue and green outfits.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
  • At the show, guests including Meadow Walker, Space Afrika and King Princess were spotted wearing a new collaborative Speedcat in all-black.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of wearing
Verb
  • Each presents a group portrait of a handful of disaffected British suburbanites—husbands who resent their deadening jobs, toddlers who whine and interrupt, and, above all, hassled wives subsumed by a crush of household obligations.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Sam Lambert laid down a safety squeeze, deadening the ball in front of the plate and scoring Balls to trim the lead to 3-1.
    — Dave Montrose, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026
Definition of deadening
Verb
  • In the Rocky Mountains, years of extreme heat and drought have baked the landscape, drying up streams that feed the Colorado River and desiccating pastures where cattle graze.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Suddenly, pest populations are large enough to make a meaningful impact, and one too many afternoons of 100+ degree weather have begun desiccating leaves.
    — Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of desiccating
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.

Browse Nearby Words

petrify
petrifying
pets
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Cite this Entry

“Petrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petrifying. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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