paralyze
verb
par·a·lyze
ˈper-ə-ˌlīz 
ˈpa-rə-
paralyzed; paralyzing
1
: to affect with paralysis
The snake's venom paralyzed the mouse.
2
: to make powerless or ineffective
A strike would paralyze the industry.
3
: unnerve
the paralyzing thing is the uncertainty—
Evelyn Whitehead
Evelyn WhiteheadSynonyms
Examples of paralyze in a Sentence
The snake's venom paralyzed the mouse.
The air strikes have paralyzed the city's transportation system.
The company was paralyzed by debt.
Recent Examples on the Web
This move paralyzes them and causes the whale sharks to slip into a kind of trance.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
This situation has paralyzed our counterterror operation.
—Jennifer Griffin, Fox News, 12 Dec. 2024
The turmoil has paralyzed South Korean politics and sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners including the United States and Japan.
—Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2024
McBrain has dealt with health issues in recent years, including suffering a stroke in 2023 that paralyzed the right side of his body and threatened his drumming career.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 7 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for paralyze 
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Rachel Raposas, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
This situation has paralyzed our counterterror operation.
—Jennifer Griffin, Fox News, 12 Dec. 2024
The turmoil has paralyzed South Korean politics and sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners including the United States and Japan.
—Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2024
McBrain has dealt with health issues in recent years, including suffering a stroke in 2023 that paralyzed the right side of his body and threatened his drumming career.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 7 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for paralyze
Dictionary Entries Near paralyze
Cite this Entry
“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paralyze. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
paralyze
verb
par·a·lyze
ˈpar-ə-ˌlīz
paralyzed; paralyzing
1
: to affect with paralysis
2
: to make powerless or unable to act, function, or move
Medical Definition
paralyze
transitive verb
par·a·lyze
variants
or British paralyse
paralyzed or British paralysed; paralyzing or British paralysing
: to affect with paralysis
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