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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
Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2026
Jackson’s interception stymied a Rams drive.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 11 Jan. 2026
Dixon claims that Reid continues to stymie her career.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2026
The Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is coming to the defense of former tenants of landlord Jeffrey Butler, claiming that his defamation lawsuit against them over the lyrics in a TikTok video is a frivolous attempt to stymie free speech.
—Wheeler Cowperthwaite, The Providence Journal, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stymie
Cite this Entry
“Stymie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stymie. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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stymie
verb
