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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
ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Prosecutors were stymied in their efforts to find a criminal case in President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen to grant pardons.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
But the elimination of federal incentives, including the $7,500 tax credit for new EV purchases and $4,000 for used ones, has stymied Uber’s effort to become an EV-only platform.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 2 Apr. 2026
Keller stymies defending champ Coppell Claire Garritson scored the game-winning goal in the second half and Keller hung on to beat defending state champion Coppell 2-1 in the Class 6A Division 1 Region 1 Final on Tuesday night at Keller High School.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 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 7 Apr. 2026.
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stymie
verb
