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
Listen to this article A young Connecticut woman paralyzed in a car accident five years ago has won hearts and donations from across the country because of her resilience and positivity.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 23 June 2024
During his administration, former President Donald Trump developed a good rapport with Erdogan, but his personalized approach paralyzed traditional diplomatic channels and institutional links between the two countries without delivering tangible results.
—Asli Aydintasbas, Foreign Affairs, 6 June 2024
In April this year, a cyberattack paralyzed the group’s Italian operation.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune Europe, 5 June 2024
These heat disasters left the city paralyzed, as residents struggled against extreme conditions at home.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for paralyze 
Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 23 June 2024
During his administration, former President Donald Trump developed a good rapport with Erdogan, but his personalized approach paralyzed traditional diplomatic channels and institutional links between the two countries without delivering tangible results.
—Asli Aydintasbas, Foreign Affairs, 6 June 2024
In April this year, a cyberattack paralyzed the group’s Italian operation.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune Europe, 5 June 2024
These heat disasters left the city paralyzed, as residents struggled against extreme conditions at home.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for paralyze
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paralyze.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near paralyze
Cite this Entry
“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paralyze. Accessed 7 Jul. 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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