hamstrings

verb

present tense third-person singular of hamstring
as in paralyzes
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstrings
  1. paralyzes
  2. cripples
  3. undermines
  4. weakens
  5. incapacitates
Verb
  • During REM sleep, one of the periods of rest when dreams are most likely, the brainstem paralyzes the body’s muscles, except, of course, those that move our eyes and keep us breathing.
    — RJ Mackenzie, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Kosowski, prosecutors theorized, killed Cozzi with succinylcholine, a fast-acting drug that paralyzes muscles, and threw his body in a Collier County dumpster during a drive to Miami.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of paralyzes
Verb
  • According to official figures, even when the thermometer plummets to minus 22 °F (-30 °C), a situation that cripples most electric vehicles, the Atto 8 can still execute a 20 % to 97% charge in just 12 minutes.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Federal illegality further cripples operations with banking and tax burdens.
    — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
Definition of cripples
Verb
  • Using words like ghosts or spirits undermines what these entities actually are.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
  • This not only calls into question how much extra food China truly has but also undermines public confidence in the government.
    — JOEL WUTHNOW, Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of undermines
Verb
  • El Niño is a tropical Pacific climate pattern that weakens trade winds, shifts jet streams, and can increase the risk of flooding, droughts, and wildfires.
    — Cindy Carcamo, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Nov. 2026
  • And perhaps most importantly, gerrymandering weakens accountability.
    — Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • The Martian tells the story of astronaut Mark Watney, who becomes stranded on Mars after a dust storm incapacitates him.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 28 May 2026
  • Lorenzo confronts and incapacitates Pepe, Sonia’s main ally, before facing Sonia herself.
    — Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
Definition of incapacitates
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.

Browse Nearby Words

hamstringing
hamstrings
hamstrung
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Cite this Entry

“Hamstrings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstrings. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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