paralyse
Britishverb
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pathol to affect with paralysis
-
med to render (a part of the body) insensitive to pain, touch, etc, esp by injection of an anaesthetic
-
to make immobile; transfix
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of paralyse
C19: from French paralyser, from paralysie paralysis
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In a worst case, this can paralyse airport operations, as happened in April 2024 when torrential downpours hit Dubai International Airport.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
"Anyone who tries to sabotage our critical infrastructure and paralyse society is attacking all of us. But we will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed or intimidated by criminal activity."
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
"The enemy is trying to paralyse economic activity in the capital and major cities," Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergiy Koretskyi said on Facebook on Saturday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
When touched, these cells fire toxic harpoon-like tubes designed to paralyse prey, such as plankton and small fish.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Kym’s jellyfish-tentacle hair floated towards him, as if anxious to paralyse new prey.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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