1
as in disadvantage
a feature of someone or something that creates difficulty for achieving success
her natural shyness was not a handicap when she played chess
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
her uncomfortable shoes became a handicap on the walking tour of the city, as she often had to sit and rest her sore feet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to hamper
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the baseball player's small size did not handicap him in the least
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of handicap
Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Lattimore, according to Stone, was the passenger in a car registered in his name that was parked in a handicap spot outside a CVS drugstore.
—Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
But that would still leave Oviedo, Crawford and Sandoval locked in a battle for the final rotation spot, which will be difficult to handicap considering both Crawford and Sandoval missed all of last season due to injury.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for handicap
Noun
Consider that the average male 14-handicap golfer has a driver swing speed of 90–95 mph.
—Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Lattimore, according to Stone, was the passenger in a car registered in his name that was parked in a handicap spot outside a CVS drugstore.
—Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
Some severely bad picks and process in the first round have handicapped the Packers’ ceiling tremendously.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
But that would still leave Oviedo, Crawford and Sandoval locked in a battle for the final rotation spot, which will be difficult to handicap considering both Crawford and Sandoval missed all of last season due to injury.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for handicap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handicap
Noun
-
Olen Zellweger committed a tripping penalty in overtime, but Anaheim killed the four-on-three disadvantage.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Olen Zellweger committed a tripping penalty in overtime, but Anaheim killed the 4-on-3 disadvantage.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Flying the morning of an important presentation may not raise any obvious red flags, but that tight scheduling leaves no margin for unexpected obstacles, like weather events or mechanical issues.—
Abby Price,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The obstacles are mutable and insidious.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
India is feeling the heat as tensions in the Middle East show no signs of cooling, with high oil prices likely to increase the country’s already substantial energy import bill, while disruptions to flight routes hamper airline operations.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2026
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Insurance exclusions can ultimately hamper any claims In the current Middle East situation, the most consequential lines in your policy are around exclusions for war, acts of war, hostilities, or military action.—
Scott Campbell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Years of inflation, high mortgage rates and skyrocketing home prices have made buying a home a major hurdle for many Americans.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
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Barrios said the money for vehicle maintenance could help pay to replace the city’s Chollas Operation Yard, which can’t be rebuilt or expanded because of environmental hurdles.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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California law restricts when local enforcement can coordinate with ICE in making such arrests, and federal officials and Republicans have assailed the policy for hindering immigration enforcement.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
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Many Gulf desalination plants are physically integrated with power stations as co‑generation facilities, meaning attacks on electrical infrastructure could also hinder water production.—
Annika Hammerschlag,
Fortune,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
From her perspective, expanding connectivity across South Carolina has been part of a broader effort to reduce barriers for communities historically left out of economic and educational participation.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
4 Mar. 2026
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The semi-autonomous barrier is intended to prevent vehicles from fleeing at high speeds from the checkpoint, US Customs and Border Protection has said.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The incident resulted in a ticket for impeding traffic, for which she was ordered to pay $197 after pleading no contest in Orange County court on Monday.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
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Since the proposal became public last month, parents and students have argued closures would impede students’ academic and social well-being, lead to longer school commutes and exacerbate the struggle to find child care.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
His charges were reduced to misdemeanor obstruction of government administration and harassment, the outlet said.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Valmir Krasniqi, 35, the manager at Positano, a Bay Ridge restaurant prosecutors say has ties to organized crime figures, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in Brooklyn Federal Court Wednesday, and could face up to six years behind bars based on sentencing guidelines.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handicap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handicap. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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