petrify

But the department’s letter was sent days ago without public comment, and its reported warning that the lottery may be illegal isn’t likely to petrify scofflaws such as Musk and Trump.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2024

Imperfect though “Romulus” may be, it’s also a solid entry in a slate of films whose original maker has taken the extended story seriously enough to petrify it.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2024

“But you’ve just got to stay ready whenever your opportunities come. They just come and go, so you’ve just got to stay ready for it you. Can’t really petrify yourself for the time being.”

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 21, 2023

This should petrify his colleagues — and the rest of the country, too.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 23, 2023

“Same as your minotaur horn. But don’t unwrap the head. It can still petrify you.”

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

One can imagine how the thought of going to jail petrifies him.

From Salon ● May 10, 2024

It petrifies teachers who fear their students will use it instead of their brains for school papers.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 6, 2023

As the resin petrifies and turns into amber, it preserves whatever gets stuck inside of it—including insects, slime molds and even pint-sized dinosaurs—in a gold-tinted time capsule.

From Scientific American ● Jan. 12, 2023

Every time Clifton Collins Jr. boards a flight midproduction, the possibility of the aircraft crashing petrifies him.

From New York Times ● Dec. 31, 2021

It is my private opinion that this great boat will not get off at all, but will lie here until she petrifies….

From Maria Mitchell: Life, Letters, and Journals by Mitchell, Maria

He was petrified by how much had to go right for him to excel in high school, college and then decades of working.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

"I'm just so petrified at the concept of trying to read something and they change."

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026

With “Rooster,” Lawrence, Tarses and Carell have created a more intimate dynamic centered on a father-daughter bond that has petrified a bit.

From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2026

"We ran downstairs to the basement... from the 10th floor... we were petrified," he told AFP.

From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026

Kate was already working on it—she pointed to a large petrified tree limb lying among the stony rubble nearby.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

“This was the most petrifying part, not being able to be there to shield your kids and know if they were safe,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 15, 2025

The self-infantilizing is disconcerting to watch, and no doubt petrifying to experience firsthand, but Gaga dodges the fan and gets into her waiting vehicle.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2025

"I didn't know what was going on. We didn't know whether he’d survived, it was so nerve wracking. It was the longest two hours of my life. It was awful; it was petrifying."

From BBC ● May 21, 2024

After proving that I would be a viable “Survivor” contestant, we went in search of the truly petrifying item on our list.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 14, 2023

Worse still, it isn’t actually necessary to look to space for petrifying danger.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson