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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
Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2026
However, Padilla’s teacher and Gosling’s principal’s attempts are stymied when the high schoolers begin conspicuously passing along notes to each other.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2026
The impossibility of keeping up breeds apathy and stymies opposition.
—Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
What should have been a short drive was stymied by the Red Crescent having to coordinate its route with Israeli authorities to clear the route with military units.
—Alexander Durie, Time, 3 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 14 Mar. 2026.
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stymie
verb
