hamstring

verb

Definition of hamstringnext
as in to paralyze
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move the downtown development committee claims that it's hamstrung by city ordinances protecting historic buildings

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 hamstring Even those items that can be produced will be hamstrung by constraints to global trade. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 17 June 2026 For example, states would often impose tariffs on each other’s goods, even if those goods were moving only from Virginia to Maryland and vice versa, thereby inhibiting the development of a national market and hamstringing internal trade. — Jordan Cash, The Conversation, 8 June 2026 Rian is similarly hamstrung by inarticulacy and masculine angst, but his storyline feels the least convincing, as if fashioned only to prove money can’t buy happiness, even if Cole convincingly suggests unspoken depths. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026 But Chicago was ultimately hamstrung by the team’s lack of 3-point shooting and faltering defensive effort. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for hamstring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstring
  1. paralyze
  2. cripple
  3. undermine
  4. weaken
  5. incapacitate
Verb
  • Vaccines Are Victims Of Their Own Success Most parents have not seen a child permanently paralyzed by polio or struggling to breathe from diphtheria.
    — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • But as anyone who’s stared at a wall of swatches well knows, choosing the right shade can feel paralyzing.
    — Kelly Dawson, Architectural Digest, 31 July 2026
Definition of paralyze
Verb
  • The new film takes its cue from a once-promising novelist crippled by writer’s block who reconnects with his estranged college roommate, now a wealthy tech entrepreneur, in hopes of finding inspiration for his next book.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 July 2026
  • The tragic twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 laid bare the dire state of the country’s health system, crippled by years of economic crisis, government mismanagement and the migration of medical workers.
    — Alfie Pannell, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Definition of cripple
Verb
  • But the party’s past debates over crime and safety threaten to undermine that pitch.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
  • Future plots to imprison a critic of the MAGA movement might not be undermined by a loudmouth president who can’t help but give away the scheme.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of undermine
Verb
  • Analysts are less optimistic that the latest intervention could fundamentally alter the broader course of the yen’s weakening.
    — John Liu, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • If the partner feels disconnected from the hotel brand, the benefit may add utility while weakening the program’s positioning.
    — Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • The medical professional also checked the boxes saying Grayson would be incapacitated within six months and his condition was unlikely to improve.
    — Jerry Nowicki, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • Grayson filed for release under the Joe Coleman Act, which applies to incarcerated people who are terminally ill or medically incapacitated.
    — Ava Kelley, NBC news, 31 July 2026
Definition of incapacitate

Browse Nearby Words

hams
hamstring
hamstringing
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Cite this Entry

“Hamstring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstring. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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