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
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Recent Examples of hamstring
Even with Wednesday morning’s bounce , the S & P 500 has plunged more than 11% over the past five sessions as traders worry the taxes will hamstring U.S. consumers and drive up inflation.
—
Alex Harring, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
Failure to conclude a mineral deal has hamstrung Ukrainian efforts to secure pledges of continuing U.S. military support.
—Yehor Konovalov and Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Players are no longer hamstrung by limitations of the system, herded into titles that don’t ask too much of it.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
That’s where savings should come from—not from hamstringing tax policy.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hamstring
Alex Harring, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
Failure to conclude a mineral deal has hamstrung Ukrainian efforts to secure pledges of continuing U.S. military support.
—Yehor Konovalov and Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Players are no longer hamstrung by limitations of the system, herded into titles that don’t ask too much of it.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
That’s where savings should come from—not from hamstringing tax policy.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hamstring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstring
Verb
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He was paralyzed as a result of the shooting and died three months later.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
17 Apr. 2025
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The disturbing event all but paralyzes Kyle on the couch as the viral loathing continues.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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About six weeks ago, hackers crippled the computer systems of the TV and mobile phone provider Dish Network.—
Shira Ovide,
Washington Post,
4 Apr. 2023
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Oakland Mills Coach: Chris Brewington Last season: Class 2A state champion Outlook: Losing the talent Oakland Mills did from last year’s outdoor season would cripple most programs, but the Scorpions have reloaded.—
Anthony Maluso,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Mar. 2023
Verb
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The site goes on to advance the theory that COVID-19 originated in a Wuhan lab and undermines Trump’s political rivals like Joe Biden and Andrew Cuomo.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
18 Apr. 2025
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Critics are concerned Trump's latest move could allow the administration to purge nonpartisan career officials and replace them with political loyalists, undermining the independence of the federal workforce.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Agreeing to a pick swap with the Lynx weakened the value of the pick that the Sky traded away.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
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One by one, the sectors defect, and, eventually, the leader may weaken and their government may fall.—
Julia Angwin,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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For example, deleting the genetic region responsible for producing this toxin in E. coli can actually incapacitate the bacteria from promoting cancer in animals.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2025
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Lasers can incapacitate pilots, many of whom are flying airplanes with hundreds of passengers.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hamstring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstring. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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