1
as in vulnerable
lacking protection from danger or resistance against attack
after the storm we found a helpless baby bird that had fallen out of its nest
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2
as in paralyzed
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
we watched, feeling helpless, as the vase slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor
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Examples of helpless in a Sentence
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Similar to how Australian species were defenseless to cane toad toxins, other species are helpless against invading wasps.
—
Discover Magazine, 14 Oct. 2024
Read the full Scorpio Daily Horoscope Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)
No longer helpless?
—USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2024
Turns out, people would prefer to receive an authentic human response, yet many feel nearly helpless to offer one themselves.
—Matthew Schnipper, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2024
The lawsuit filed in Maryland provides the most detailed account yet of the cascading series of failures on the Dali that left the vessel’s pilots and crew helpless in the face of looming disaster.
—Lea Skene and Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for helpless 
Discover Magazine, 14 Oct. 2024
Read the full Scorpio Daily Horoscope Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)
No longer helpless?
—USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2024
Turns out, people would prefer to receive an authentic human response, yet many feel nearly helpless to offer one themselves.
—Matthew Schnipper, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2024
The lawsuit filed in Maryland provides the most detailed account yet of the cascading series of failures on the Dali that left the vessel’s pilots and crew helpless in the face of looming disaster.
—Lea Skene and Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for helpless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helpless
Adjective
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However, your boxwoods might be less vulnerable to severe damage, not being weakened by the earlier damage from the leaf miners and psyllids.Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 2 Nov. 2024
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With a range of hundreds of meters to several kilometers, the laser heats up the target’s shell in vulnerable areas, including its engine or warhead, until the projectile collapses.Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Not after a season of off-field adversity, including his 3-year-old son Max’s battle with a frightening case of Guillain-Barré syndrome in August, briefly leaving him paralyzed.Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024
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The takeaway here is not to become paralyzed by the fear of misinterpretation but rather to approach communication with humility and openness.Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Notably, losing an hour of daylight can take a toll on people who are susceptible to seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that peaks during the darker winter months.Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
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Cult experts say anyone is vulnerable because everyone is susceptible to influence.David Oliver, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Hasbro is still feeling the impact of a weak 2023 that led to excess inventory and closeouts, as well as growing pains related to its plan to right-size its business and shed less profitable toys and business segments.Joan Verdon, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
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The company’s poor financial performance last quarter and weak profit forecast proved to be the last straw for the CVS board.Phil Wahba, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Younger adults entering the workforce feel powerless, and growing numbers of them feel unable to start lucrative careers, with youth unemployment exceeding 17 percent.Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 31 Oct. 2024
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Locals emptied powerless coolers and contributed hot dogs, ribs and hamburgers.Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The film, which is currently shooting on location, follows two incompetent paramedics completely out of their depth, who unwittingly become embroiled in a kidnapping plot.Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2024
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No doubt, President Biden was more than peeved that Harris and the Democrat-media-money machine overthrew him for someone that even Joe recognized was glaringly incompetent.David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near helpless
Cite this Entry
“Helpless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helpless. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.
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