as in to paralyze
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
town councils felt immobilized by the powers newly granted to the state legislation
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Recent Examples of immobilize
Being immobilized on a stretcher inside a very small airplane was a tremendous challenge.
—
Lori Brock, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2026
Meteorologists said the storm is the strongest in a decade, dumping more than 2 feet of snow in parts of the metropolitan Northeast, shattering accumulation records in places, immobilizing transit and even leading the United Nations to postpone a Security Council meeting.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Meteorologists said the storm is the strongest in a decade, dumping more than 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow in parts of the metropolitan Northeast, shattering accumulation records in places, immobilizing transit and even leading the United Nations to postpone a Security Council meeting.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
The vehicle was immobilized when another patrol car slammed into it near the Lake Junaluska Golf Course, officials said.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for immobilize
Lori Brock, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2026
Meteorologists said the storm is the strongest in a decade, dumping more than 2 feet of snow in parts of the metropolitan Northeast, shattering accumulation records in places, immobilizing transit and even leading the United Nations to postpone a Security Council meeting.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Meteorologists said the storm is the strongest in a decade, dumping more than 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow in parts of the metropolitan Northeast, shattering accumulation records in places, immobilizing transit and even leading the United Nations to postpone a Security Council meeting.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
The vehicle was immobilized when another patrol car slammed into it near the Lake Junaluska Golf Course, officials said.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for immobilize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for immobilize
Verb
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Though brief, Yoon’s martial law decree threw the country into a severe political crisis, paralyzing politics and high-level diplomacy and rattling financial markets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
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Though she is paralyzed from the neck down, Lucy still has some mobility in her arms, the Post reported.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The film, starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson and slated to hit theaters October 2, follows Lowen Ashleigh (Johnson), a struggling writer who is hired to complete a successful book series after its author, Verity Crawford (Hathaway), is incapacitated.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
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Mojtaba Khamenei’s absence from public life has raised speculation that he could be incapacitated or dead.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That has crippled Iran’s two biggest non-oil exports, and higher prices have affected everything from plastics to pipes, to fabrics and packaging for groceries like milk, butter and cheese.—
Amir-Hussein Radjy,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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That has crippled Iran’s two biggest non-oil exports, and higher prices have affected everything from plastics to pipes, to fabrics and packaging for groceries like milk, butter and cheese.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In a recent Equity survey, 71 % of actors from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds still reported that hair and makeup departments were unable to meet their needs, something that undermining wellbeing, authenticity and production values.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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Governments had promoted cleaner fuels like LPG for health and conservation reasons, but rising costs are undermining those gains.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Immobilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/immobilize. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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