1
as in vulnerable
lacking protection from danger or resistance against attack
after the storm we found a helpless baby bird that had fallen out of its nest
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in paralyzed
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
we watched, feeling helpless, as the vase slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor
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Recent Examples of helpless
That's particularly troublesome for Buffy, who goes as a helpless 18th-century girl.
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Nicole Briese, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
Until recently astronomers were helpless in getting any sort of advance warning on these smaller meteors streaking through Earth's atmosphere.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
In one graphic strike last week on an evacuee center near Deir al-Balah’s Al-Aqsa Hospital, 20 people were killed, including civilians and patients who were burned alive as other evacuees and neighbors were helpless and unable to save them.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Oct. 2024
Read More: Why Cannibalism Is A Common Behavior For Some Animals
Using AI to Stop Invasive Hornets
Similar to how Australian species were defenseless to cane toad toxins, other species are helpless against invading wasps.
—Discover Magazine, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for helpless 
Nicole Briese, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
Until recently astronomers were helpless in getting any sort of advance warning on these smaller meteors streaking through Earth's atmosphere.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
In one graphic strike last week on an evacuee center near Deir al-Balah’s Al-Aqsa Hospital, 20 people were killed, including civilians and patients who were burned alive as other evacuees and neighbors were helpless and unable to save them.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Oct. 2024
Read More: Why Cannibalism Is A Common Behavior For Some Animals
Using AI to Stop Invasive Hornets
Similar to how Australian species were defenseless to cane toad toxins, other species are helpless against invading wasps.
—Discover Magazine, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for helpless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helpless
Adjective
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The older trees themselves, more exposed in the landscape, could be more vulnerable to windstorms.April Ehrlich, ProPublica, 12 Nov. 2024
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Beijing, on the other hand, remains reliant on Taiwanese technology products for its manufacturing industry, meaning that China is now arguably more vulnerable to a disruption in cross-strait trade than Taiwan.David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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When the technology is limited to medical applications, such as Chang’s device that helps paralyzed people regain the ability to communicate, those applications are covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024
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My left leg is, uh, partially paralyzed from my hip to my knee, then from my knee to my toes, completely paralyzed, so if there's any neurosurgeons out there … any researchers out there, please get a hold of me.Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Notably, losing an hour of daylight can take a toll on people who are susceptible to seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that peaks during the darker winter months.Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
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Camellias are also susceptible to a number of diseases, the most serious of which are flower blight, root rot, and camellia dieback and canker.Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Other checks on Trump’s policy will also be far weaker.Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
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Each endpoint can be assessed to sniff out weak points.PCMAG, PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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That, combined with a quick Congressional quashing of pending FCC privacy regulations, also left the commission powerless to stop broadband providers from snooping on their customers.Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024
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Although that could help stave off rate increases in the short term, over the longer term Florida homeowners and insurers might be powerless as the planet continues to warm.Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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The film, which is currently shooting on location, follows two incompetent paramedics completely out of their depth, who unwittingly become embroiled in a kidnapping plot.Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2024
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No doubt, President Biden was more than peeved that Harris and the Democrat-media-money machine overthrew him for someone that even Joe recognized was glaringly incompetent.David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near helpless
Cite this Entry
“Helpless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helpless. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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