How to Use hands are tied in a Sentence

hands are tied

phrase

• The trouble is the village does not have enough fingers to plug all the holes that crop up at Autumn Ridge and its hands are tied.
  — Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
• Pine’s hands are tied up in that scene, so that, unfortunately, means that Pine would have been unable to stop Roper from shooting Teddy.
  — Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
• Organizers say the protests reflect mounting frustration with state laws that mandate cooperation with ICE, even as local leaders argue their hands are tied.
  — Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 28 Jan. 2026
• When approached to intervene, brands default to the position that their hands are tied, pointing to the union’s lack of legal status and MoLVT conciliation notes that side with the employer.
  — Sourcing Journal, 15 Oct. 2025
• The administration has argued the shutdown effectively means there is no SNAP program, and its hands are tied until Congress passes a funding deal.
  — Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 7 Nov. 2025