Synonyms of hamstring

hamstring

verb

as in to paralyze

to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move

the downtown development committee claims that it's hamstrung by city ordinances protecting historic buildings

Synonyms & Similar Words

• paralyze
• cripple
• undermine
• weaken
• incapacitate
• immobilize
• disable
• undercut
• attenuate
• prostrate
• hobble
• sap
• debilitate
• maim
• enfeeble
• tire
• mutilate
• enervate
• lame
• knock out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• invigorate
• strengthen
• energize
• galvanize
• vitalize
• fortify
• restore
• empower
• revive
• revitalize
• regenerate
• rejuvenate
• refresh
• freshen
• refreshen

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hamstring

The Maginot Line for NHL players is 30, and there is considerable risk that once Robertson crosses over the big contract will hamstring his team because the chances of him maintaining his current goal-production drop every year. — Mac Engel july 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026

Russia and China use these vessels to cut cables with plausible deniability, exploiting gaps in international law that hamstring the US and its allies. — Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

Even those items that can be produced will be hamstrung by constraints to global trade. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 17 June 2026

For example, states would often impose tariffs on each other’s goods, even if those goods were moving only from Virginia to Maryland and vice versa, thereby inhibiting the development of a national market and hamstringing internal trade. — Jordan Cash, The Conversation, 8 June 2026