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
Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 31 May 2026
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
James Pearce, New York Times, 30 May 2026
Rian is similarly hamstrung by inarticulacy and masculine angst, but his storyline feels the least convincing, as if fashioned only to prove money can’t buy happiness, even if Cole convincingly suggests unspoken depths.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
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
Adjective
But that machine was largely considered a hamstrung disaster.
—Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 31 May 2026
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
Verb
Liverpool have been hamstrung by the absence of their four most important attackers through injury in recent weeks, but there has been little sign of improvement as the season draws to a close.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 30 May 2026
Rian is similarly hamstrung by inarticulacy and masculine angst, but his storyline feels the least convincing, as if fashioned only to prove money can’t buy happiness, even if Cole convincingly suggests unspoken depths.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstrung
Adjective
-
Japanese police trudged through deep mud on Thursday in another unsuccessful day searching for a missing Auburn University student, who vanished after an argument with family over artificial intelligence.—
David K. Li,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
-
Efforts to reach Bronstein for comment on Stone’s claims were unsuccessful Thursday.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Three All Saints Episcopal School students lured a fourth student to participate in a TikTok challenge this month that became a catastrophic assault, leaving the boy unconscious for several minutes, temporarily paralyzed and with fractured vertebrae, according to a lawsuit filed this week.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 May 2026
-
Samuelson has been left paralyzed from the chest down due to the bullet lodged in his spine.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
The protest largely crippled the country’s center, with highways closed and public transportation halted by the massive crowds in both Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv metro area.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Every team has injuries, but the Packers’ laundry list crippled a team that, when largely healthy, was a legitimate Super Bowl contender.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Gilgeous-Alexander partly compensated for inefficient shooting performances by leaning on his supporting cast.—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Those accomplishments help explain why many analysts view her turnovers as a byproduct of her extraordinary workload rather than evidence of inefficient play.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
The child was helpless against the power of the surging surf, injured while tossed by the waves.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
-
American society—grotesquely unequal and divided, helpless before its demagogic and oligarchic manipulators—is no longer a stranger to the dark ambiguities of lopsided economic progress.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The same circadian system that morning sunlight activates can be reinforced or undermined by what’s screwed into your lamps for the next 14 hours.—
Allison Palmer
June 2,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
-
Spain’s success over the past five years has undermined many long-standing political-economic truisms.—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Beyond becoming the office scapegoat, AI employees were actually counterproductive in many companies’ mission to increase AI adoption in the workplace.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
28 May 2026
-
Perhaps folks view Laesch’s behavior as obnoxious or counterproductive or simply not in his lane.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
As the story goes, attendance was weak, the weather was bad, and the tournament experience was just lacking.—
James Burky,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
As many as 40 states combine one-party control with institutional barriers weak enough to fall to political pressure.—
Bruce Sibley,
Time,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hamstrung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstrung. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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