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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
Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
The Legislature, under the leadership of Senate President Karen Spilka, the dictator of the Senate, and House Speaker Ron Mariano, has stymied implementation of the audit.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
There remained the Iranian nuclear program, long delayed and stymied by sabotage, assassinations, and sanctions.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
In recent years, Rollins has dreamed of moving into an elevator building — her row house has stairs — but says she’s been stymied by Chicago’s public housing bureaucracy.
—Mary Schmich, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 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 27 Mar. 2026.
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stymie
verb
