1
as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
several hamstrung attempts to reorganize the local parent-teacher association were made
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in paralyzed
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
hamstrung by recent congressional limitations on executive power, the president can do little in this situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in crippled
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hamstrung
Carlos Waters, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
The exact impacts are unclear, but airports, Amtrak trains and wildfire response would probably not be hamstrung, officials told Bay Area News Group on Monday.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Yet, despite decades of advancement in digital infrastructure, network rollouts remain hamstrung by manual processes, fragmented systems and costly delays.
—Abhishek Singh, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Republicans like Councilor Michael-Paul Hart, who sponsored the proposal to reform the General Orders Board, said the current setup gives civilians too much power and has made officers feel hamstrung by some of the orders.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 28 Aug. 2025
Newcastle, like Villa, are hamstrung.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
In a Friday court filing, the Justice Department said more than 460 Education Department employees had been laid off, cutting roughly a fifth of the agency's already-hamstrung workforce.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Marley Marius, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
But Flacco was hamstrung by receivers who can't catch and an offensive line that rarely afforded him time.
—Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Ekwonu suggested postgame that Young was hamstrung by the pockets and looks the offensive line afforded him.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2025
Even if its leaders still want to move military forces abroad, their ability to do so would be hamstrung by the paralysis of vital logistics, transportation and communications infrastructure achieved through these cyberattacks.
—Jim Richberg, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
They are hamstrung by having fewer states in their control and stricter rules that make partisan redrawing more difficult.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
The admission is just the latest bungle from New York’s beleaguered legal marijuana program, which has been hamstrung by legal challenges, a slow rollout and gaps in the law that allowed an illicit market to flourish.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2025
The Hill’s Jared Gans reports that Democrats are hamstrung by their own recent push to use independent redistricting commissions, taking the issue out of the hands of state lawmakers.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Conservatives, who have long sought to reduce the size of the federal workforce, say Trump should not be hamstrung.
—Carlos Waters, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
The exact impacts are unclear, but airports, Amtrak trains and wildfire response would probably not be hamstrung, officials told Bay Area News Group on Monday.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Yet, despite decades of advancement in digital infrastructure, network rollouts remain hamstrung by manual processes, fragmented systems and costly delays.
—Abhishek Singh, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Republicans like Councilor Michael-Paul Hart, who sponsored the proposal to reform the General Orders Board, said the current setup gives civilians too much power and has made officers feel hamstrung by some of the orders.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 28 Aug. 2025
Newcastle, like Villa, are hamstrung.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
In a Friday court filing, the Justice Department said more than 460 Education Department employees had been laid off, cutting roughly a fifth of the agency's already-hamstrung workforce.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
Another professor, Alma (Julia Roberts), is the first person Maggie speaks to about what happened, and Alma’s reaction sets up the film’s faceted examination of privilege, identity politics, and what goes on in a cloistered community hamstrung by its own mores.
—Marley Marius, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
But Flacco was hamstrung by receivers who can't catch and an offensive line that rarely afforded him time.
—Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Ekwonu suggested postgame that Young was hamstrung by the pockets and looks the offensive line afforded him.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2025
Even if its leaders still want to move military forces abroad, their ability to do so would be hamstrung by the paralysis of vital logistics, transportation and communications infrastructure achieved through these cyberattacks.
—Jim Richberg, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
They are hamstrung by having fewer states in their control and stricter rules that make partisan redrawing more difficult.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
The admission is just the latest bungle from New York’s beleaguered legal marijuana program, which has been hamstrung by legal challenges, a slow rollout and gaps in the law that allowed an illicit market to flourish.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2025
The Hill’s Jared Gans reports that Democrats are hamstrung by their own recent push to use independent redistricting commissions, taking the issue out of the hands of state lawmakers.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstrung
Adjective
-
Romo was starting to describe how Mahomes was complaining about the attempt being unsuccessful when he was interrupted by the Chiefs running the ball and picking up the first down.—
Jayna Bardahl,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
-
However, the shooting was unsuccessful and Alex suffered only superficial wounds.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In addition, the left side of his face became paralyzed.—
Kimberly Nordyke,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Oct. 2025
-
In August, Elon Musk’s Neuralink expanded to the UK with a clinical study testing its brain chip to help paralyzed patients control devices through thought.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Another hunter had crippled him.—
Robert Merchant,
Outdoor Life,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Such a finding could’ve crippled the operations of Google, Meta and X, among various others.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The videos pop up instantly—before my brain has had time to picture the prompts using my own imagination, as if the act of dreaming has been rendered obsolete, inefficient.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
20 Oct. 2025
-
His lab is focused on improving the chemical synthesis of mirror proteins, a process which is currently very inefficient.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
At first, the doctor’s sympathies would be with the family, who seemed helpless given their lack of autonomy and the dictates of their circumstances.—
Ayşegül Savaş,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Cheryl Harris Gates, 43, of Charlotte, is also charged with contaminating food or drink to render one mentally incapacitated or physically helpless; stalking; and damage to property.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the view of many faculty members, Baccarelli had undermined the public position Harvard spent months cultivating—as a beacon of academic integrity, unwilling to bend to the administration’s political pressure.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Some researchers hypothesized that only species within the genus Homo had the ability to make stone tools, although recent discoveries have undermined that assumption.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Still, student editors argue the move to cut print is counterproductive since advertising revenue generated $11,000 in profit from three print editions this semester.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
17 Oct. 2025
-
On face value, this seems counterproductive for even a microorganism, where replication and in turn genetic survival is a driving force.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The economy has withstood weak role creation precisely because the pool of applicants is shrinking.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The defensive line took advantage of a weak Auburn O-line, sacking Arnold five times.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hamstrung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstrung. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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