immobilizing

verb

present participle of immobilize
as in paralyzing
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of immobilizing That, combined with a nearly immobilizing back injury and a relationship turned toxic, left me feeling panicked. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Aug. 2026 The venom causes a drop in blood pressure in the prey as well as prolonged bleeding, immobilizing it and allowing the dragon to bring it down and kill it. — Craig Stanford, Big Think, 7 May 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 Patty Phillips was racing to evacuate from her Malibu home last January when her car got stuck on a boulder, immobilizing her as flames closed in. — Michele Gile, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026 Breakups can be agonizing, even immobilizing; sometimes, wallowing is the ideal way forward. — Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025 Waste is retrieved from aging tanks, contamination plumes are treated, and the vitrification plant has begun immobilizing certain high-level radioactive wastes in glass, a milestone that reshapes the future of the site but doesn’t soften its complexity. — New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2025 Metallic gels offer a potential solution by immobilizing the liquid component without sacrificing performance. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for immobilizing
  1. paralyzing
  2. crippling
  3. incapacitating
  4. disabling
Verb
  • The attacks and the air raid alerts that accompany them have severely disrupted life in the city, forcing millions to constantly seek shelter and paralyzing the capital’s businesses and transport networks.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Medications used in lethal injections usually act in three steps -- first sedating the individual, then paralyzing them, before ending important bodily functions necessary for life.
    — Allen Chang, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of paralyzing
Verb
  • In the days after the ceasefire broke down, the Houthis announced a blockade on Saudi shipping, and launched attacks crippling Saudi Arabia’s oil export infrastructure.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • An explosion tore through the Apollo 13 service module, crippling the spacecraft and venting the crew’s oxygen supply into space.
    — Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of crippling
Verb
  • The video shows the Taser not incapacitating her and the woman walking quickly toward the officers while waving the knives in front of her.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • All that before disorienting and incapacitating a potential school shooter in about a minute.
    — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of incapacitating
Verb
  • That makes the technology particularly interesting for counter-drone missions, where disabling an aircraft’s sensors or critical components may be sufficient to bring it down.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
  • When Urich was young, his father suffered a disabling stroke; Netanyahu became a father figure to him.
    — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of disabling

Browse Nearby Words

immobilizes
immobilizing
immoderacy
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Cite this Entry

“Immobilizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/immobilizing. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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