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
-
The disease can be paralyzing, or even fatal.—
Ciara McCarthy
June 15,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
-
Moorehead has followed Clark’s story from 2000, when the running back for Eisenhower High School suffered a paralyzing spinal cord injury in a game through his death in 2012.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
The fall broke both his legs, crippling him.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
14 June 2026
-
The Ukrainian military sank several Russian warships in the Black Sea and at their Crimean bases, crippling Moscow’s naval capability and forcing it to redeploy its fleet to Novorossiysk.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Wembanyama now risks undermining much of that newfound goodwill.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
-
Roboticists have long sought a compact, energy-efficient pumping technology that can be fully integrated into soft robotic systems without undermining the flexibility and adaptability that make soft robotics attractive in the first place.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Yet the extremist group has mobilized its members and media outlets to ramp up criticism of the agreement, heaping pressure on Iranian negotiators who have been attempting to extract concessions from a US administration intent on weakening – and possibly ending – the Islamic Republic.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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After reaching record levels in the 1990s and 2000s, deforestation declined until the 2019-2022 term of then President Jair Bolsonaro, whose government was widely criticized for weakening environmental protections.—
Gabriela Sa Pessoa,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Anthropic complied within hours, disabling the models for all customers globally, though other models remain active.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
Blessing later ran into a wall, disabling the vehicle.—
Seamus Bozeman
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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.—
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 20 Jun. 2026.
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