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
Connecticut has among the highest electric rates in the nation, with some officials and legislators arguing that is hamstringing economic development efforts.
—
Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2026
But in the business community, people worry about the proposals hamstringing Colorado’s competitiveness with other states, Colorado Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Loren Furman said Tuesday.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2026
And Mass Development, the state agency that supports small business projects, was hamstrung by federal rules that also exclude multi-use projects.
—Elizabeth MacBride, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Business owners and executives who disapproved of the tariffs said their companies were hamstrung by higher prices for inputs, lower product demand, supply chain shortages and a reluctance to hire or invest due to uncertainty over trade deals and a prolonged government shutdown.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hamstring
Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2026
But in the business community, people worry about the proposals hamstringing Colorado’s competitiveness with other states, Colorado Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Loren Furman said Tuesday.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2026
And Mass Development, the state agency that supports small business projects, was hamstrung by federal rules that also exclude multi-use projects.
—Elizabeth MacBride, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Business owners and executives who disapproved of the tariffs said their companies were hamstrung by higher prices for inputs, lower product demand, supply chain shortages and a reluctance to hire or invest due to uncertainty over trade deals and a prolonged government shutdown.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hamstring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstring
Verb
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Williams was paralyzed in the crash.—
Karen Morfitt,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
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Inky Johnson left college football due to an injury that paralyzed his right arm.—
Haley Sawyer,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The effective closure of the strait has led to major disruptions to the world’s energy flows, sending oil prices above $100 per barrel and threatening to cripple many economies that rely on energy from the Middle East.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
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Ten feet of flooding would cripple highways along Manhattan’s edges and damage vital infrastructure, including transit links to the airports.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Long-range drone and missile strikes have been a key element of the conflict as both Kyiv and Moscow seek to degrade the other's economy and undermine their ability to prosecute and fund the ongoing war.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
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However, those efforts could be undermined by a recent increase in 2-year yields that threatens to compress excess spreads, according to Bank of America.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hungary is a major importer of Russian energy and the sanctions would have impacted the country's already weakening economy.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
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But instead, the resolution was further weakened to eliminate any reference to Security Council authorization — which is an order for action — and limit its provisions to the Strait of Hormuz.—
Greg Norman-Diamond,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and Congressman Shri Thanedar called on the 25th Amendment to be invoked, which would ensure an orderly transfer of power if the president is incapacitated.—
Julia Avant,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
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Instead of using explosives, most attacks used carbon fiber bombs that incapacitated the facilities instead of destroying them.—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hamstring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstring. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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