1
as in to cripple
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
a blizzard paralyzed the city for two days
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2
as in to intimidate
to deprive of courage or confidence
the school board is paralyzed by the threat of lawsuits for just about everything
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Recent Examples of paralyze
Its Contenders Documentary Streaming Site But another high-profile documentary in the running for the shortlist didn’t make the cut: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, about the late actor who was paralyzed in a horse-riding accident.
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Matthew Carey, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2024
But indeed, that’s the blue-ringed octopus, one of several shallow-dwelling species harboring a neurotoxin in its saliva with the capability of paralyzing muscles – an effect that could, if left unaddressed, lead to fatal consequences.
—Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024
One of two suspects has been arrested in connection with a home invasion in Pennsylvania earlier this month that left a 25-year-old man dead and his mother paralyzed after being shot multiple times.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 13 Dec. 2024
Courtenay Brown Dec 16, 2024 - Economy Trump wildcard paralyzes global central banks
Global policymakers admit that how their economies fare next year largely rests on President-elect Trump and whether his trade agenda becomes a reality.
—Courtenay Brown, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for paralyze 
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2024
But indeed, that’s the blue-ringed octopus, one of several shallow-dwelling species harboring a neurotoxin in its saliva with the capability of paralyzing muscles – an effect that could, if left unaddressed, lead to fatal consequences.
—Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024
One of two suspects has been arrested in connection with a home invasion in Pennsylvania earlier this month that left a 25-year-old man dead and his mother paralyzed after being shot multiple times.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 13 Dec. 2024
Courtenay Brown Dec 16, 2024 - Economy Trump wildcard paralyzes global central banks
Global policymakers admit that how their economies fare next year largely rests on President-elect Trump and whether his trade agenda becomes a reality.
—Courtenay Brown, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for paralyze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyze
Verb
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About six weeks ago, hackers crippled the computer systems of the TV and mobile phone provider Dish Network.Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2023
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Oakland Mills Coach: Chris Brewington Last season: Class 2A state champion Outlook: Losing the talent Oakland Mills did from last year’s outdoor season would cripple most programs, but the Scorpions have reloaded.Anthony Maluso, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2023
Verb
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Mike Myers looked back at his time on Saturday Night Live, revealing in a recent podcast that he was intimidated by how funny his costars were.Jessica Wang, EW.com, 31 Dec. 2024
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Many of the weapons Reagan used to intimidate the Soviets—including the B-2 stealth bomber and the MX missile—were developed under Carter.Jonathan Alter, TIME, 29 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The 15,000 losses the Ukrainian president noted are those who are dead or incapacitated and cannot return to war.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
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Washington no longer has a pressing need to maintain its military presence or the crushing sanctions that were initially designed to incapacitate the Assad regime.Steven Simon, Foreign Affairs, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
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There is nothing frail or frightened about his Scrooge.Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Dec. 2024
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The narrative arc of Ghosts follows a gentleman mysteriously endowed with supernatural abilities that frighten the residents of a phantom town.Ime Ekpo, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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To use the threat of sanctions to strong-arm South Korea today would similarly undermine the values that Washington’s claims distinguish democracy from autocracy—giving China more ammunition to attack the United States for hypocrisy.Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024
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The great irony of Carter as a cautionary tale is that the thing that probably weakened his presidency the most — being an outsider who was often undermined by his own party — was the thing that stuck.Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux, ABC News, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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As a mother of three daughters, I am terrified by how this technology has been used to exploit teenagers.Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
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And Robert Zemeckis' 2009 take featuring Jim Carrey is noteworthy for a few reasons: Not only are the ghosts downright terrifying, but the animation style is also unsettling, and may scare you for all the wrong reasons.Huntley Woods, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The widening yield differentials between Chinese and U.S. sovereign bonds could risk encouraging capital outflows and put further pressure on the yuan that has been weakening against the greenback.Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2025
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Elon Musk, one of Trump’s confidants, has already met with Iran’s UN ambassador; now that Israel has weakened Tehran and pummeled its proxies in the Middle East, a diplomatic breakthrough may be achievable.Charles A. Kupchan, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The 2x Oscar nominee, who co-wrote and directed the 2005 Johnny Cash pic Walk the Line, has not been scared off from paying cinematic tribute to other legendary musicians after the parody Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007).Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 Dec. 2024
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High prices could scare off would-be investors, but momentum abounds.Max Zahn, ABC News, 27 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyze. Accessed 14 Jan. 2025.
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