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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of petrify
The body was supposedly petrified by sap, and the loggers found several gold coins dating to the late 1600s, as well as pieces of paper identifying the person as Pierre D’Artagnan.
—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024
The West and Israel should be mindful over the apparent change in tempo of Iran’s uranium enrichment and be petrified of losing the wider war of non proliferation in a region unable to step back from the brink.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 28 Sep. 2024
The government - the governor is petrified in Colorado.
—CBS News, 22 Sep. 2024
When North Korea tested a ballistic missile in 2009, the public was petrified at first but quickly lost interest.
—Takashi Yokota, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2012
See all Example Sentences for petrify 
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024
The West and Israel should be mindful over the apparent change in tempo of Iran’s uranium enrichment and be petrified of losing the wider war of non proliferation in a region unable to step back from the brink.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 28 Sep. 2024
The government - the governor is petrified in Colorado.
—CBS News, 22 Sep. 2024
When North Korea tested a ballistic missile in 2009, the public was petrified at first but quickly lost interest.
—Takashi Yokota, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2012
See all Example Sentences for petrify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petrify
Verb
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It is also undermined by experience since its announcement.—
Liz Tracey,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Jan. 2025
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But the disconnect between its lofty themes and the shallowness of its characters and world-building undermines its grand ambitions.—
Judy Berman,
TIME,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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However, critics worry bringing minority parties into the majority tent weakens legislative scrutiny.—
Charlie Campbell,
TIME,
22 Jan. 2025
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Beijing has also been working to repair ties with American allies like Japan to try to weaken the security alliances forged by the Biden administration to constrain China.—
David Pierson,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The result is a graceful character study that explores why someone’s capacity for warmth seems to have long been drained.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2025
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During her post-surgery recovery, simple tasks like bending over became incredibly difficult, leaving her feeling both physically and emotionally drained.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Santa Anas are those desiccating winds that occur commonly in winter, blowing out of Nevada and Utah and into southwestern California.—
Amy Graff,
New York Times,
19 Jan. 2025
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Notes of old cream sherry, desiccated coconut, and toffee add complexity.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Two of those teenagers, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, lay flat on their backs at full time, exhausted by yet another 90 minutes.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
The Athletic,
23 Jan. 2025
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But the last of those emergency dollars are being exhausted this fiscal year and won’t be available to help in the next two-year state budget, which Lamont will propose to lawmakers on Feb. 5.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Being sick with a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea is also dehydrating.—
Nancy LeBrun,
Verywell Health,
21 Jan. 2025
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One was later discovered wandering a remote track, dehydrated.—
Martin McKenzie-Murray,
SPIN,
7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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This relationship, when successful, tends to enervate mediating institutions that thwart the immediate desires of both the populist leader and the public.—
Cameron Hilditch,
National Review,
28 Feb. 2021
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The saving grace of this often enervating thriller is that Doscher grants time for his actors to build character and intimacy, and both Pinto and Odom offer warm, affectingly natural performances as two people facing the end of their world.—
Teo Bugbee,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2020
Verb
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At the end of the clip, the singers decide to castrate the ex in question with a pair of tiny scissors and even pose with sharp objects a la Edward Scissorhands.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
10 Jan. 2025
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The shelter notes that Dwayne isn’t castrated, so his new home should only have other males and/or females that have been spayed.—
TJ Macias,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near petrify
Cite this Entry
“Petrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petrify. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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