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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of handicap
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2026
Julian would dismiss the first two, claiming that wokeness gives an old, white male like him the handicap.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Mar. 2026
Warming permanently handicaps the watershed, shrinking the payoff from wet years.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for handicap
Noun
Horan is a passionate golfer with a single-figure handicap of approximately 8-9, a regular at pro-ams and the founder of Modest!
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2026
Julian would dismiss the first two, claiming that wokeness gives an old, white male like him the handicap.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
Many of the objections to the bill focused on how instituting such a law would only handicap Idaho schools in recruiting and lead to a lesser product on fields of play.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Mar. 2026
Warming permanently handicaps the watershed, shrinking the payoff from wet years.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for handicap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handicap
Noun
-
The era of the concert hall was at hand, and the same qualities that had made the mandolin attractive at home now put it at a disadvantage.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Those will be difficult headwinds for Whatley to combat, Bitzer and Roberts both said, especially since members of the sitting president’s party already tend to be at a disadvantage in competitive midterm elections.—
Mary Ramsey
April 9,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the end, the deepest release isn’t about getting a medical tag, but rather about understanding why those unrelenting obstacles continued to exist.—
Lucy Jones
April 11,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Because Anna and Matteo were never actually together, her clear attraction with Michael doesn’t face any meaningful obstacles, aside from some obligatory (and weakly justified) initial sniping between the two leads.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
My enjoyment was always hampered by trying to manipulate and enlarge the grid.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Bodies were sighted, but fuel that could have been easily ignited and the natural terrain hampered rescue efforts to the point where even airboats were eventually prohibited from skimming the river of grass to help.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The ceasefire brokered by Pakistan still faces hurdles in the talks beginning Saturday, as Israel and Hezbollah militants have been trading fire along the border of southern Lebanon and Iran has set conditions before negotiations can begin.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Then, for Artemis IV, there are even greater hurdles.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Moving forward, lawmakers should identify aspects of recent reforms that are hindering their intended purpose of increasing housing, while continuing to advance land-use liberalization across the state.—
Eliza Terziev,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Since October of last year, the agency has lost more than 1,500 agents, and these unfilled positions have severely hindered operational capacity at a critical moment.—
La'Tasha Givens,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The plants serve as a physical barrier against dirty air, absorbing chemicals into their cells and collecting particles with their leaves, according to the researchers.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The soil could also act as a way for the macaques to fight nausea and diarrhea by forming a barrier in the digestive tract, the researchers say.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The 23-year-old was also sentenced to an additional year in prison for assaulting, resisting and impeding federal officers.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Miguel Angel Garcia Martinez faced more than 20 years in prison because of a felony assault, resist and impede case before it was dropped last month.—
Ryan Oehrli
April 16,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
According to Harvard Health, rarer but more serious side effects can include inflammation of the pancreas, called pancreatitis; gastroparesis, or the slowing or stopping of movement of food through the stomach; bowel obstruction or blockage; and gallstone attacks or bile duct blockages.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
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In March 2024, authorities arrested 32-year-old Lashawn Washington and charged her with first-degree felony murder, kidnapping and obstruction of justice.—
Veronica Fulton,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handicap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handicap. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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