stymie

verb

sty·​mie ˈstī-mē How to pronounce stymie (audio)
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.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Washington — The Supreme Court on Friday limited the use of nationwide injunctions, reining in federal judges' ability to issue sweeping orders that have in recent years stymied implementation of policies from Republican and Democratic presidential administrations alike. June 27, CBS News, 27 June 2025 Trump sought to wipe out most TPS enrollment during his first term but was stymied by federal courts. Fredlyn Pierre Louis, NBC news, 27 June 2025 President Donald Trump's administration is escalating its battle with the U.S. judiciary over rulings that have stymied his agenda by filing a lawsuit with an unusual set of defendants: The judges themselves. Nate Raymond, USA Today, 26 June 2025 While Houthis didn’t target Chinese or Russian flagged vessels, the crisis still stymied trade to China’s detriment. Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for stymie

Word History

Etymology

Scots stimie, stymie to obstruct a golf shot by interposition of the opponent's ball

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stymie was in 1902

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Cite this Entry

“Stymie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stymie. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

stymie

verb
sty·​mie ˈstī-mē How to pronounce stymie (audio)
stymied; stymieing
: to present an obstacle to : stand in the way of
an unexpected snowstorm stymied travelers' plans

More from Merriam-Webster on stymie

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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