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
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Recent Examples of hamstrung
Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
Still, amid his newfound songwriting success, Gordy felt hamstrung by the realities of the record biz.
—Brian McCollum, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Haithcock said schools have been financially hamstrung since Act 10 – the Scott Walker-era landmark law in 2011 that curtailed union bargaining power and cut take-home pay for workers – especially amid declining student enrollment.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The lingering animosity, in his view, hamstrung budget talks and the passage of the Legislature’s most consequential proposals.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
In Oregon, too, where gray wolves have been established for longer, ranchers feel hamstrung.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2026
At the outset of the Hot Stove Season, the Mets moved fan-favorite Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in return for sure-handed, but potentially bat-hamstrung second baseman, Marcus Semien.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Yet, spending significantly more long-term money on one closer compared to the alternatives on the market could wind up leaving the Mets financially hamstrung.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
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
Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 19 May 2026
While Oklahoma City deployed its 10th or 11th men at times, Redick stuck to eight- or nine-man rotations, hamstrung by inefficiencies across the bottom half of the roster.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Assayas is a great filmmaker, but seems hamstrung by this being a film, not a series.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 13 May 2026
But future work may be hamstrung by federal funding cuts.
—Joanna Thompson, Space.com, 12 May 2026
The state is hamstrung in its redistricting efforts despite a Republican trifecta by a constitutional amendment barring maps favoring a specific party.
—Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026
The energy shock reverberating from the war in Iran has hamstrung the global economy.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
So many relationships get hamstrung by one or both partners expecting the other to read their minds.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
After last year, this clearly talented team can only go up as long as they're not hamstrung by injuries (again).
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Does this mean that the courts are effectively hamstrung for several weeks from the start of early voting to Election Day?
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
Still, amid his newfound songwriting success, Gordy felt hamstrung by the realities of the record biz.
—Brian McCollum, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Haithcock said schools have been financially hamstrung since Act 10 – the Scott Walker-era landmark law in 2011 that curtailed union bargaining power and cut take-home pay for workers – especially amid declining student enrollment.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The lingering animosity, in his view, hamstrung budget talks and the passage of the Legislature’s most consequential proposals.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
In Oregon, too, where gray wolves have been established for longer, ranchers feel hamstrung.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2026
At the outset of the Hot Stove Season, the Mets moved fan-favorite Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in return for sure-handed, but potentially bat-hamstrung second baseman, Marcus Semien.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Yet, spending significantly more long-term money on one closer compared to the alternatives on the market could wind up leaving the Mets financially hamstrung.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
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
Verb
Qatar, the world's second-largest supplier which owns part of the world's largest gas field, has seen its export capacity hamstrung by Iranian strikes.
—Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 19 May 2026
While Oklahoma City deployed its 10th or 11th men at times, Redick stuck to eight- or nine-man rotations, hamstrung by inefficiencies across the bottom half of the roster.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Assayas is a great filmmaker, but seems hamstrung by this being a film, not a series.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 13 May 2026
But future work may be hamstrung by federal funding cuts.
—Joanna Thompson, Space.com, 12 May 2026
The state is hamstrung in its redistricting efforts despite a Republican trifecta by a constitutional amendment barring maps favoring a specific party.
—Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026
The energy shock reverberating from the war in Iran has hamstrung the global economy.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
So many relationships get hamstrung by one or both partners expecting the other to read their minds.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
After last year, this clearly talented team can only go up as long as they're not hamstrung by injuries (again).
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstrung
Adjective
-
Investigators said that an initial PIT maneuver was unsuccessful, but a second one caused the truck to crash into another vehicle and roll over onto its side – an incident that was caught on home surveillance video.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
Jeremy Brandon Johnson, 53, of Eveleth, was pronounced dead at the scene after lifesaving measures were unsuccessful.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
While the idea of being paralyzed can sound alarming, the underlying mechanism is actually a normal part of sleep for nearly everyone.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
-
Just one week after coming to the school in 2021 on a hockey recruiting visit, Thibeault suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down.—
Paul Burton,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
But his personal and party polls are dismal, crippled by what critics and analysts say has been a series of unforced errors.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
-
That has crippled Iran’s two biggest non-oil exports, and higher prices have affected everything from plastics to pipes, to fabrics and packaging for groceries like milk, butter and cheese.—
Amir-Hussein Radjy,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Although this might seem inefficient for a bird of their size, inside a rainforest, long soaring wings would actually be more of a liability than an asset.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
In their final seasons, the critique extends to AI’s temptations and shortcomings, ultimately making the case for the inefficient art of comedy.—
Caroline Framke,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
By contrast, the publication of his translation of Kafka in Italian in the spring of 1983 left him feeling empty, helpless, defenseless.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
-
All the sweeping expansiveness snaps shut with a sudden health crisis for Kristen, its onset signaled with masterful concision in a middle-of-the-night calamity that leaves her helpless.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Her crime undermined and endangered legitimate nonprofit organizations that rely on donations and taxpayers' funds to carry out necessary and important charitable work.—
Anthony Bettin,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
-
But Dennis has also undermined another ESPN property, the WNBA, by openly rooting against Caitlin Clark’s fans.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
That assumption is both outdated and counterproductive.—
Adam Goodcoff,
STAT,
13 May 2026
-
However foolhardy, counterproductive and costly, cities have a right to challenge state laws.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Typically, this imaging uses sensors that can pick up femtotesla or picatesla range of magnetic fields, weaker than even refrigerator magnets.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
22 May 2026
-
In some cases, value starts to soften not because the business is weak, but because the growth story is not fully proven.—
David Chapman,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hamstrung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstrung. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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