hamstring

noun ham·string \ ˈham-ˌstriŋ \

|Updated on: 7 Aug 2018

Examples: hamstring in a Sentence

Definition of hamstring

1 a : either of two groups of tendons at the back of the human knee

b : any of three muscles at the back of the thigh that function to flex and rotate the leg and extend the thigh

2 : a large tendon above and behind the hock of a quadruped

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Recent Examples of hamstring from the Web

Tanaka missed a turn in September 2015 after straining his right hamstring while running to first after bunting at Citi Field.

— terrin waack, The Seattle Times, "Yanks Masahiro Tanaka goes on DL with hamstring strains," 9 June 2018
Paul, who strained his hamstring late in Game 5 against the Warriors and missed Game 6, continued receiving treatments leading up to Game 7 in an attempt to play.

— sam amick, USA TODAY, "Rockets' Chris Paul to miss Game 7 vs. Warriors with hamstring strain," 28 May 2018
Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor was activated from the disabled list since straining his left hamstring on April 9.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "Rougned Odor returns to Rangers and rookie Isiah Kiner-Falefa happy to assume utility role | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 11 May 2018
However, Perriman strained his hamstring and was out for much of training camp for a third straight year.

— jeff zrebiec, baltimoresun.com, "Ravens officially decline Breshad Perriman's 5th-year option but more immediate questions remain," 3 May 2018
Jaylen Brown was sidelined after straining his right hamstring in the first half Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

— keith pompey, Philly.com, "Celtics rough up Sixers, 117-101, in Game 1," 30 Apr. 2018
Already a reserve outfielder in 2016, Orlando saw his playing time increase further when Lorenzo Cain strained his hamstring.

— maria torres, kansascity, "Royals put Alex Gordon on disabled list, call up Abraham Almonte | The Kansas City Star," 10 Apr. 2018
The injury report has included new guys Larry Nance Jr. (strained hamstring) and Rodney Hood (back).

— ted crow, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Cavaliers hope to get healthy for stretch drive: Crowquill," 18 Mar. 2018
Wade was sidelined after straining his left hamstring late in Saturday's victory over the Washington Wizards at AmericanAirlines Arena, with Rodney McGruder entering in his place off the bench.

— ira winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Damian Lillard shoots Blazers past Heat 115-99," 13 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hamstring.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of hamstring

1565

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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hamstring

verb

Definition of hamstring

hamstrung play \ˈham-ˌstrəŋ\; hamstringing play \ˈham-ˌstriŋ-iŋ\

transitive verb

1 : to make ineffective or powerless : cripple

hamstrung by guilt

2 : to cripple by cutting the leg tendons

See hamstring defined for English-language learners

Examples of hamstring in a Sentence

The mayor tried to hamstring our efforts by cutting the budget.
The company claims it is being hamstrung by government regulations.

Recent Examples of hamstring from the Web

This administration has created a political environment that is emboldening criminals while hamstringing the police.

— bill ruthhart, chicagotribune.com, "McCarthy crime plan: Remove politics, Emanuel's meddling from Police Department," 9 July 2018
Stock indexes that rode accelerating growth to fresh records in January are now hamstrung by a moderate but unmistakable slowdown in economic momentum in Europe and elsewhere.

— gerard baker, WSJ, "The 10-Point.," 4 June 2018
Porzingis’s career has long been hamstrung by the dysfunction around him.

— rohan nadkarni, SI.com, "Kristaps Porzingis's Torn ACL Essentially Ends the Knicks' Season," 7 Feb. 2018
But their recommendations are hamstrung by what its members will allow, and the scientific and commercial communities are not well-represented there, according to David Kendall, the committee’s former chair and a member of Boley’s team.

— ramin skibba, Smithsonian, "Greening the Future of Outer Space," 2 June 2018
With the glut of long-term contracts already on the books for Florida (seven core players are signed for four more seasons), inking such a deal would hamstring the Panthers’ financial flexibility.

— matthew defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "How does Panthers' trade for Mike Hoffman affect rest of Florida's offseason?," 19 June 2018
But where the Falcons are truly hamstrung in Jones’s salary gulf is in taking care of their other players with just less than $10 million in cap space for this year.

— jonathan jones, SI.com, "Matt Ryan and the Falcons Are Not Concerned About Julio Jones's Absence ... Yet," 13 June 2018
The impact of the time crunch is quite apparent in the final product, and Sharp admits that computational limits hamstrung the team's vision of a decent-looking and sounding product.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "This wild, AI-generated film is the next step in “whole-movie puppetry”," 11 June 2018
Tougher limits on AT&T’s operations could hamstring the company for years and put it on uneven footing with Comcast, which will have rules over its ownership of NBCUniversal lifted later this year.

— brent kendall, WSJ, "AT&T’s Dream Deal Hangs on Judge’s Decision," 11 June 2018

First Known Use of hamstring

1641

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

hamstring Synonyms

Synonyms

cripple, disable, immobilize, incapacitate, paralyze, prostrate;

Near Antonyms

energize, galvanize, invigorate, vitalize;

fortify, strengthen;

empower;

freshen, refresh, refreshen, regenerate, rejuvenate, restore, revitalize, revive;

hobble, lame;

maim, mutilate;

knock out;

HAMSTRING Defined for English Language Learners

hamstring

noun

Definition of hamstring for English Language Learners

: a tendon at the back of a person's knee
: a muscle at the back of a person's upper leg

hamstring

verb

Definition of hamstring for English Language Learners

: to damage or ruin the force or effectiveness of (something or someone)

Medical Dictionary

hamstring

noun ham·string \ ˈham-ˌstriŋ \

medical Definition of hamstring

1 a : either of two groups of tendons bounding the upper part of the popliteal space at the back of the knee and forming the tendons of insertion of some muscles of the back of the thigh

b : hamstring muscle

2 : a large tendon above and behind the hock of a quadruped corresponding to the human Achilles tendon