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
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Recent Examples of hamstring
In fact, the club was significantly hamstrung by a transfer ban that wasn’t lifted until January.
—
Manuel Veth, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
In an interview with NPR on May 27, Harvard's president, Alan Garber, said his university isn't the only one whose scholars' scientific research has been hamstrung.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
At a time when geopolitical division hamstrings large and formal bodies like the U.N. and World Trade Organization, small and informal contact groups are becoming the diplomatic vehicles of choice.
—Charles A. Kupchan, Time, 14 June 2025
Over the years, the park’s superintendents were also hamstrung by a lack of money.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hamstring
Manuel Veth, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
In an interview with NPR on May 27, Harvard's president, Alan Garber, said his university isn't the only one whose scholars' scientific research has been hamstrung.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
At a time when geopolitical division hamstrings large and formal bodies like the U.N. and World Trade Organization, small and informal contact groups are becoming the diplomatic vehicles of choice.
—Charles A. Kupchan, Time, 14 June 2025
Over the years, the park’s superintendents were also hamstrung by a lack of money.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hamstring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstring
Verb
-
Trump deserves credit for ignoring the voices in Washington who counsel inaction out of an understandable but often paralyzing fear of unintended consequences.—
The Editors,
National Review,
24 June 2025
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To all who saw Iran as a behemoth, were daunted by its deterrence and paralyzed by its threats, these are days of reckoning.—
HUSSEIN AGHA,
Foreign Affairs,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
About six weeks ago, hackers crippled the computer systems of the TV and mobile phone provider Dish Network.—
Shira Ovide,
Washington Post,
4 Apr. 2023
-
Oakland Mills Coach: Chris Brewington Last season: Class 2A state champion Outlook: Losing the talent Oakland Mills did from last year’s outdoor season would cripple most programs, but the Scorpions have reloaded.—
Anthony Maluso,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Mar. 2023
Verb
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Your bombastic attacks on the free press are, at best, unflattering — and at worst, undermine a core tenet of democracy.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 June 2025
-
Trump is undermining our economy with reckless tariffs, harsh cuts, and ICE agents terrorizing our communities.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Abandoning recognition can erode motivation, diminish engagement and make employees feel invisible, weakening the cultural fabric and undermining long-term resilience.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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But in an unexpected ruling in 2023, the Supreme Court declined an invitation to weaken Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.—
June 27,
CBS News,
27 June 2025
Verb
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This decrease signifies a substantial revenue gap that could have incapacitated many companies.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Near the Bering Strait, the crew spotted the Brunswick, incapacitated after striking ice and surrounded by other whalers preparing to buy off its goods.—
Francine Uenuma,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hamstring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstring. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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