hinder

verb

hin·der | \ ˈhin-dər

hindered; hindering\ ˈhin-d(ə-)riŋ

Definition of hinder

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to make slow or difficult the progress of : hamper Their journey was hindered by snow and high winds. economic growth hindered by sanctions

2 : to hold back : prevent, check His financial troubles hindered him from buying a home.

intransitive verb

: to delay, impede, or prevent action uncertain whether the changes would help or hinder

hinder

adjective

hind·er | \ ˈhīn-dər

Definition of hinder (Entry 2 of 2)

: situated behind or in the rear : posterior a long oval forward part and a taillike hinder portion— R. E. Coker

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Verb

hinder, impede, obstruct, block mean to interfere with the activity or progress of. hinder stresses causing harmful or annoying delay or interference with progress. rain hindered the climb impede implies making forward progress difficult by clogging, hampering, or fettering. tight clothing that impedes movement obstruct implies interfering with something in motion or in progress by the sometimes intentional placing of obstacles in the way. the view was obstructed by billboards block implies complete obstruction to passage or progress. a landslide blocked the road

Examples of hinder in a Sentence

Verb

The witness refused to cooperate, hindering the investigation. The country's economic growth is being hindered by the sanctions. It's not clear whether the change will help or hinder our project.

Adjective

the animal's case of mange was especially bad in its hinder parts

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Also, avoid binge-watching, which has been shown to hinder sleep. — Sarah Richards, Woman's Day, "Quiet Your Mind in Anxious Times With These Expert Tricks," 14 Aug. 2018 The programs launching in this northern Indiana area are just a small step toward tackling the fundamental problem of food insecurity and poverty that hinders student success across the U.S. — Teen Vogue, "Food Insecurity Among American Public School Students Requires Aid Beyond Free Lunch Programs," 16 Apr. 2019 Derek Bouchard-Hall and Steve Johnson had their successes during tenures as president and chief executive, yet there remained a disconnect between USA Cycling and the business world that was hindering its ability to accomplish its goals. — Dave Skretta, The Seattle Times, "USA Cycling hires New Balance boss DeMartini as its CEO," 7 Jan. 2019 With the fluorescein in place, scientists then add an acid that hinders the negative charges in the polyacrylate gel. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Honey, I Shrunk Everything: MIT Scientists Can Shrink Objects to the Nanoscale," 18 Dec. 2018 Granted, that was before the launch of the Apple TV 4K, which closed a many-months-long gap in quality between Apple's offering and some streaming box competitors that may have hindered the device's popularity. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, "What developers say Apple needs to do to make the Apple TV a gaming console," 13 Oct. 2018 And after the November election, when five seats on the board will be contested, progressives could lock up a veto-proof majority — a dynamic that could hinder Breed’s agenda. — Trisha Thadani, SFChronicle.com, "Cohen’s goal for SF Board of Supervisors’ presidency — a sense of stability," 10 July 2018 There have been other forms of adversity that hindered the team, but that made the success at states all the more commendable. — Gary Curreri, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Pompano teen helps eight-grade basketball team reach 'Elite' status," 8 July 2018 Here’s a look at some of the flashpoints that hinder stronger ties: India’s two-way trade with China touched nearly $90 billion last year, making it the largest commercial partner of the South Asian economy. — Karthikeyan Sundaram, Bloomberg.com, "Trump's Trade War Pushes China Closer to Old Foe India," 28 June 2018

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