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

Health care industry opposition and employer inertia have stymied wholesale changes over the past several decades, but the financial strain on workers and companies has made reform a priority. — Bob Herman, STAT, 29 Oct. 2026

Nondisclosure agreements have stymied Owens' efforts to learn more. — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026

In addition, Mahoney thinks that AI cannot be banned or overly restricted, as this will stymie progress at a time when human knowledge could and should be growing at an unprecedented rate. — Benjamin Skuse, IEEE Spectrum, 27 Oct. 2026

The Valkyries stymied Atlanta star Angel Reese, holding her to only eight points. — Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 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