PETRIFY Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

petrify

verb

ˈpe-trə-ˌfī

Definition of petrify

as in to undermine

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

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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 petrify The filmmaker leans pop-comic rather than petrifying in his final draft, opting for earnestness that smothers atmospheric dread. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Feb. 2026 The former slingshots between harmony and hysteria; the latter petrifies its beauty under a haze of ashy gray powder. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Nov. 2025 You'll be petrified by the violence inflicted upon boys who only wanted a chance to pull their families out of financial duress and have an opportunity at a comfortable life afforded to most of us sitting in our seats. — Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 13 Sep. 2025 So don’t go around being petrified of having your esophagus rupture someday. — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for petrify

Recent Examples of Synonyms for petrify

Verb

Attached to his letter is a fact sheet with evidence that Edwards’s claims undermine the committee’s.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
For Salesforce, investors have worried that increasingly capable AI models could allow businesses to accomplish more with fewer traditional software subscriptions, undermining the industry's pricing model.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of undermine

Verb

Even if Korea can maintain 2% economic growth over the next two decades, consumption growth gradually weakens and eventually turns negative, according to Goldman’s long-term modeling.

— Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Riggs said the Teamsters’ safety argument is weakened by the inconsistent safety record of human truck drivers, who have fallen asleep at the wheel or driven while distracted or otherwise impaired.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of weaken

Verb

In your audit, emergency reserves are separated from non-retirement assets because they should not ever be drained unless there is an emergency.

— Cicely Jones, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Then, crews from the Urban Search and Rescue team worked with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to drain the tank and help save the remaining bears from drowning, officials said.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of drain

Verb

Strewn around the edges of the room are ceramic casts of the pocked fruit, brown and desiccated like a pile of skulls.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
This is because cucumbers are quick-growing plants, and removing old, desiccating vines provides an opportunity to reduce much of the pest pressure and disease sources that may be lingering.

— Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of desiccate

Verb

Your eyes will thank you College students often fall asleep without removing their contacts, especially when exhausted from late-night studying or over-intoxicated from partying.

— Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Qualifying members who exhaust their income protection will now be covered up until May 1, 2028, Gee said.

— Jackie Charniga, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of exhaust

Verb

The people who genuinely benefit are those vomiting or experiencing diarrhoea badly enough to be dehydrated.

— Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
When you are dehydrated, your urine will also have a higher concentration of waste, which may lead to urinary tract infections.

— Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of dehydrate

Verb

The impact of that shocking final scene is sufficient to send viewers out feeling enervated after what’s been a pretty desultory final act.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026
Campbell, the North Carolina folk singer, describes an enervating process marked by back-and-forth exchanges and lots of waiting.

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026

Definition of enervate

Verb

Those expectations got castrated because of last season’s early struggles.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Earlier this month, on Monday, June 8, Municipal Court Judge Louis Sancinito found Lowe guilty of possessing the deer without a permit, interfering with a conservation officer attempting to confiscate the animal, and having Rudy illegally castrated.

— Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026

Definition of castrate

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“Petrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petrify. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of petrify

verb

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