petrifying

verb

Definition of petrifyingnext
present participle of petrify
as in undermining
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality groupthink and peer pressure have so petrified the thinking of the company's top brass that they haven't produced an innovative product in years

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for petrifying
  1. undermining
  2. weakening
  3. deadening
Verb
  • During the past 18 months, Johnson eliminated 456 Police Department vacancies, stunting any potential growth in ranks and canceled police academy training classes, further undermining the department’s future capability.
    Dylan Sharkey, Chicago Tribune, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Telecom companies and federal regulators were asleep on the job and as a result, Americans’ calls, messages, and phone records have been accessed by foreign spies intent on undermining our national security.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of undermining
Verb
  • One concern Giordano brings up is rapamycin further weakening a person’s immune system.
    Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Flow Space, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Additionally, stronger enforcement of existing sanctions and the introduction of tariffs on Russian goods, in addition to the goods of its backers — weakening Putin’s grip on power and the Russian economy.
    Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of weakening
Verb
  • Philips’ problems first surfaced publicly in June 2021, when the company warned that the noise-deadening foam lining its equipment, mostly CPAP machines, could break apart, sending potentially toxic particles and fumes into users’ throats and lungs.
    Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Her days increasingly consisted of soul-deadening meetings and consultations.
    David W. Brown, The New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2024
Definition of deadening
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near petrifying

petrify

petrifying

pets

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Petrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petrifying. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on petrifying

Nglish: Translation of petrifying for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of petrifying for Arabic Speakers

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