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
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
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At age 14, Arias was caught in the crossfire of a shootout between rival gangs, paralyzing him from the waist down.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
8 Mar. 2026
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In a region where weather swings from paralyzing ice storms to scorching summers, these elements carry weight.—
Mary Grace Granados
Special Contributor,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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All three largely believe the war caused the high gas and grocery prices that are crippling the nation’s economy.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
This creates permanent skin damage around the well, fundamentally destroying its natural permeability and crippling its long-term productivity.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That’s a barrier, undermining the very mission of the Endowment, which in recent years has made significant investments to expand access to high-quality care for Nutmeg State families of diverse backgrounds.—
Josette Walters,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
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Accordingly, the warring factions have competed to depict themselves as the true embodiment of MAGA and paint their rivals as undermining Trump or deviating from his precepts.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Seniors are the most reliable midterm voters in the country, and with the 2026 elections approaching and affordability already their top concern, weakening this program is a risk Republicans should not be taking.—
Joe Hardy,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
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However, rejecting the goal of citizenship verification altogether risks weakening public confidence in the system.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Analysts say its unusual movements — including disabling its tracking signal — are consistent with tactics used to evade sanctions.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
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The Simpson returned fire with four missiles of its own, disabling the Iranian boat, before it was finished off by gunfire from the US flotilla.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The defendant at the trial, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, argued that its policy covered only losses resulting from a medically verified, incapacitating illness.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
10 Mar. 2026
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Larter's Angela has been put through the wringer on the second season of Landman, from getting into an explosive battle with Thornton's Tommy over her period to getting arrested for incapacitating two health inspectors during a visit to her local nursing home.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hamstringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstringing. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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