as in paralyzing
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 hamstringing
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
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
All three Eastern Conference teams are vying in what has become a wide-open race, with injuries hamstringing several teams.
—
Tyler Erzberger,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
The team has had trouble finding traction this season, with early injuries and the six-game suspension of wide receiver Rashee Rice hamstringing their offensive efforts.
—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
8 Dec. 2025
Trump’s action will feed America’s destructive use of oil, while hamstringing us in the green tech race against Chinese and other foreign carmakers.
—
Clara McMichael,
ABC News,
3 Dec. 2025
That strategy has also allowed Nintendo to avoid the high costs and constant retraining that are hamstringing its competitors.
—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
28 Nov. 2025
In March, cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) disappeared the nearly $2 billion invested in the RECOVER (Researching Covid to Enhance Recovery) initiative, hamstringing research that might have yielded diagnostic tests or better treatments.
—
Eli Cahan,
Rolling Stone,
16 Oct. 2025
Jordan Cash,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
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
All three Eastern Conference teams are vying in what has become a wide-open race, with injuries hamstringing several teams.
—
Tyler Erzberger,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
The team has had trouble finding traction this season, with early injuries and the six-game suspension of wide receiver Rashee Rice hamstringing their offensive efforts.
—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
8 Dec. 2025
Trump’s action will feed America’s destructive use of oil, while hamstringing us in the green tech race against Chinese and other foreign carmakers.
—
Clara McMichael,
ABC News,
3 Dec. 2025
That strategy has also allowed Nintendo to avoid the high costs and constant retraining that are hamstringing its competitors.
—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
28 Nov. 2025
In March, cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) disappeared the nearly $2 billion invested in the RECOVER (Researching Covid to Enhance Recovery) initiative, hamstringing research that might have yielded diagnostic tests or better treatments.
—
Eli Cahan,
Rolling Stone,
16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstringing
Verb
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His grief was crushing, paralyzing, calamitous.
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The tiniest decisions were paralyzing.
Verb
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Crucially, the strike targeted a critical AVT-6 distillation unit, potentially crippling the refinery's entire 12 million tons/year capacity,.
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The fall broke both his legs, crippling him.
Verb
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Key workplace factors undermining desire include constant connectivity, performing emotional labor, relentless multitasking, experiencing burnout, and failing to take genuine breaks.
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Even after the revolution, prominent Sudanese preacher Abdulhay Yousif said the establishment of a women’s football league was aimed at undermining religion.
Verb
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The hurricane-weakening effects of El Niño may be positive for property and casualty insurers in the Northern Hemisphere.
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An unpopular war, a structurally sound economy, but maybe GDP weakening, unemployment strong, but consumer confidence weakening.
Verb
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Oftentimes, disabling security protections is frowned upon.
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Anthropic complied within hours, disabling the models for all customers globally, though other models remain active.
Verb
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Tabitha grabs one of the weird, spooky totem things and drives it through the chest of the scarecrow monster attacking Donna, killing it – or at least incapacitating it – and the scarecrows retreat.
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One of four passengers in Bain’s car, 22-year-old Destiny Betts, suffered incapacitating injuries and was transported to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial from the scene, according to the report.
Cite this Entry
“Hamstringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstringing. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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