stymie

verb

sty·​mie ˈstī-mē 

stymied; stymieing

transitive verb

: to present an obstacle to : stand in the way of

stymied by red tape

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms of stymie

• impede
• hinder
• hamper
• embarrass
• obstruct

Examples of stymie in a Sentence

Progress on the project has been stymied by lack of money.

the raging blizzard stymied the rescuers' attempts to find the stranded mountain climbers

Recent Examples on the Web

In an effort to stymie the foul smell, part of the facility is wrapped in plastic sheeting while large fans spray odor-control mist around the warehouse. — Celina Tebor, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026

But the milestone already has experts thinking about the policy guardrails—or rather, the distinct lack of them—that could stymie the creation of a virus that could threaten humanity. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026

Indeed, tribal groups and some traditional sportsbook operators have spent millions of dollars this year on lobbyists in an effort to stymie the rise of prediction markets—though the flow of money goes both ways. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Visitation to Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountains in 2025 dropped to its lowest level in a decade, stymied by the closure of Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway, which leads to one of the state’s most popular peaks. — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Scots stimie, stymie "to obstruct a golf shot by interposition of the opponent's ball," from stimie, noun, "shot that places a ball between an opponent's ball and the hole," of obscure origin

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stymie

• grimy
• slimy

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Kids Definition

stymie

verb

sty·​mie ˈstī-mē 

stymied; stymieing

: to present an obstacle to : stand in the way of

an unexpected snowstorm stymied travelers' plans