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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hamstringing
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
Sauer warned that the lower ruling was hamstringing enforcement efforts by raising the possibility of contempt when agents conduct immigration raids in the district.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 8 Sep. 2025
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
Sauer warned that the lower ruling was hamstringing enforcement efforts by raising the possibility of contempt when agents conduct immigration raids in the district.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstringing
Verb
-
The Vietnam War and Watergate had spawned a paralyzing sense of national distrust, and New Hollywood had reflected that reality beautifully but pessimistically.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
23 May 2026
-
To him, these alliances resemble the tiny Lilliputians trying to bind the giant Gulliver with paralyzing strings.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
But, in a separate incident reported by Reuters, it was revealed that Musk did cut service in eastern Ukraine around the same time, crippling a planned Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kherson.—
Ben Tarnoff,
Big Think,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Eden outlined how, by crippling universities over charges of antisemitism, McMahon could also achieve larger goals.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
War dents Saudi’s efforts to diversify economy The Iran war is undermining Saudi Arabia’s efforts to diversify away from oil, while boosting the kingdom’s oil revenues.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
22 May 2026
-
Simply, China has calculated that maintaining this French outpost is more effective for its global energy strategy than undermining French rule.—
Wesley Alexander Hill,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Many new grads will enter a weakening labor market for young workers.—
Jennifer Liu,
CNBC,
24 May 2026
-
Eleven Indiana House districts – three of them in Porter County – have been targeted by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and the Indiana House Democratic Caucus as crucial for weakening the Republican supermajority in the Indiana General Assembly.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
According to police, Cope refused to stop and continued fleeing after troopers attempted a PIT maneuver, disabling one state police patrol vehicle.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
-
More than half of people 75 and older are living with disabling hearing loss.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
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.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
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.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hamstringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstringing. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
