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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
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 10 May 2026
There’s also the multi-state litigation against Nexstar-Tegna, which has stymied the integration of the two local TV station groups as the court reviews the claims that the tie-up is anticompetitive.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 8 May 2026
The county has been trying to resurrect the theater under an agreement in 2013 with the state of Florida, which owns the property, but has been stymied repeatedly by political and legal challenges from preservationists, Grove neighbors and then-Mayor Francis Suarez over a shifting menu of issues.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
But the Padres were stymied again by an opposing starting pitcher, leaving little margin for things to not go exactly right.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 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 May. 2026.
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stymie
verb
