hands are tied

phrase

—used to say that someone is unable to act freely because something (such as a rule or law) prevents it

I'd like to help you, but my hands are tied.

The judge says her hands are tied because the law requires a harsh sentence in such cases.

Examples of hands are tied in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Pine’s hands are tied up in that scene, so that, unfortunately, means that Pine would have been unable to stop Roper from shooting Teddy. — Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026

Organizers say the protests reflect mounting frustration with state laws that mandate cooperation with ICE, even as local leaders argue their hands are tied. — Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 28 Jan. 2026

But city officials say their hands are tied. — Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026

The trouble is the village does not have enough fingers to plug all the holes that crop up at Autumn Ridge and its hands are tied. — Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for hands are tied

• acetamide
• acetonide
• acidified
• antimonide
• beatified
• benzaldehyde
• borohydride
• chalcogenide
• commodified
• decalcified
• declassified
• disaccharide