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
Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2025
Schwarzenegger, 78, also lamented the deepening polarization that has hamstrung politics since his time in office.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
The Fed has been hamstrung in assessing economic progress during the recent shutdown as all data collection and releases have been suspended.
—Christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2025
So with 85 percent of the global atmosphere not being regularly probed, current forecasts are hamstrung by the sparseness of the datasets available to them.
—IEEE Spectrum, 20 Oct. 2025
Independent inspectors are hamstrung by factory bosses, according to government officials.
—Ladan Anoushfar, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
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
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
The companies that attract Unified Commerce’s attention still have a strong identity and a loyal customer base but have been hamstrung by the changing economic environment and need operational support.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2025
Schwarzenegger, 78, also lamented the deepening polarization that has hamstrung politics since his time in office.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
The Fed has been hamstrung in assessing economic progress during the recent shutdown as all data collection and releases have been suspended.
—Christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2025
So with 85 percent of the global atmosphere not being regularly probed, current forecasts are hamstrung by the sparseness of the datasets available to them.
—IEEE Spectrum, 20 Oct. 2025
Independent inspectors are hamstrung by factory bosses, according to government officials.
—Ladan Anoushfar, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstrung
Adjective
-
But her appeal was unsuccessful.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Industry lobbying unsuccessful to date Some advocates for the restaurant industry have been lobbying to change the way service fees are treated.—
Cheryl Winokur Munk,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
In a heartbreaking video, a partially paralyzed dog is caught twitching his paws in his sleep, and internet users can’t stop sobbing.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
-
After suddenly losing her voice in November 2022, Williams-Paisley was later diagnosed with a partially paralyzed vocal cord.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Despite possessing some of the world’s largest oil reserves, mismanagement and falling global prices have crippled the economy.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Sanctions have crippled the government’s primary source of revenue, oil exports, limiting the state’s ability to provide for millions of impoverished Iranians through social safety nets.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Team members are always affected the most by old-fashioned work habits and inefficient operations— which cause the need for most transformation efforts.—
Phil Gilbert,
Fortune,
12 Nov. 2025
-
Joel Quenneville’s immediate impact has been undeniable, while new assistants Jay Woodcroft and Ryan McGill have sparked improvement in what were terribly inefficient special teams last season.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
People eventually outgrow the helpless-baby stage.—
Anna Louie Sussman,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Without money and without a means to earn it, women are helpless to determine the course of their own lives.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Adopting the Southern view, the Supreme Court issued opinions that severely undermined the legal architecture of Reconstruction.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Adams himself chose not to run in the Democratic primary and initially mounted an independent campaign, but suspended his campaign in late September, saying that media speculation and funds withheld by the city's campaign finance board undermined his ability to fundraise.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Even Bill Gates, a onetime stalwart champion of climate action, said this week that near-term emissions targets are a distraction at best and could even be counterproductive for human welfare.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
What resulted is one of the most comic, counterproductive, and clumsy episodes in the long history of British efforts to deal with Ireland.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Western countries could exploit weak points in supply chains for many of Russia's advanced fighter jets, including by tightening up sanctions as Ukraine strikes Russia's industrial facilities, according to a new report.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Respiratory difficulty, constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelids and a weak and altered cry are among the symptoms of infant botulism.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hamstrung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstrung. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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