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Golf was being played in Scotland as early as the 15th century, but it wasn't until the 19th century that the sport really caught on in England and North America. It was also in the 19th century that the word stymie entered English as a noun referring to a golfing situation in which one player's ball lies between another ball and the hole on the putting green, thereby blocking the line of play. Later, stymie came to be used as a verb meaning "to bring into the position of, or impede by, a stymie." By the early 20th century, the verb was being applied in similarly vexing non-golf contexts.
Examples of stymie in a Sentence
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
The Bears then recovered an onside kick but were stymied by Robertson’s third interception of the game, this one to Namdi Obiazor, which sealed the Horned Frogs’ win.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, at least one high-profile Sheffield effort has been stymied without the Duggan factor.
—Violet Ikonomova, Freep.com, 15 Oct. 2025
That could endanger Kiley’s bid for re-election in California’s 3rd Congressional District, but so far he’s been stymied in his effort to get Congress to help.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stymie
Cite this Entry
“Stymie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stymie. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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stymie
verb
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