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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of handicap
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Despite its handicaps, Western analysts and officials say Ukraine has in recent months recorded battlefield successes against Russia’s bigger army, disrupting a spring offensive started by Russia amid improving weather, as fields dry out and new foliage on tree lines offers more cover.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Teams have been trying to handicap when expansion could hit, going on forecasting retreats and studying what could be the most disruptive team-building moment to hit the league in more than two decades.
—Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for handicap
Noun
There is one handicap accessible Deluxe Suite.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Despite its handicaps, Western analysts and officials say Ukraine has in recent months recorded battlefield successes against Russia’s bigger army, disrupting a spring offensive started by Russia amid improving weather, as fields dry out and new foliage on tree lines offers more cover.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
But Khan had sold outdated blueprints, and the agency believed that this had handicapped the Iranians, who had never engineered the necessary centrifuges.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Teams have been trying to handicap when expansion could hit, going on forecasting retreats and studying what could be the most disruptive team-building moment to hit the league in more than two decades.
—Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for handicap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handicap
Noun
-
Similar to how van Gisbergen debuted on a brand-new NASCAR circuit, thereby negating some of the disadvantages that come with racing in a series for the first time, Magnussen will have the same opportunity at San Diego.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
Soon, multiplexes emerged, which put the Westwood Village location at a disadvantage.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The winner in November will lead the country's most populous state, facing a large deficit and other obstacles, including the state's high cost of living, homelessness and wildfire risk.—
Marisa Lagos,
NPR,
6 June 2026
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Despite the ongoing ups and downs of the housing market, including economic cycles and affordability obstacles including post-pandemic high interest rates, low inventory, and soaring prices, women – particularly Millennials – have continued to show resiliency.—
Kathy Collins,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Roupp’s night, though, comes with a caveat because the righty was hampered by back discomfort.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
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Reducing false positives and negatives Real-world conditions such as poor lighting, difficult viewing angles, extreme facial expressions, concealment by face masks or sunglasses, and poor image quality can still hamper performance, leading to faulty identification.—
Vijayan Asari,
The Conversation,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Budget pressures, construction delays, political concerns, and logistical hurdles have become common features of modern Olympic planning.—
Tim Genske,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
Nvidia is looking to deepen its ties with South Korea as tech supply chains come into focus given the Iran war, and as the company faces rising regulatory hurdles in selling to the mainland Chinese market.—
Justina Lee,Lisa Kim,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
Verb
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Undeterred, the siblings set off on a perilous journey, helped and hindered by both natural and supernatural elements along the way.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
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Last year, probation officials began requiring CLERB to seek court approval before obtaining records in cases involving juveniles — a process former CLERB officials and advocates described as hindering meaningful oversight.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Overcoming cost barriers with advanced architecture Traditional nuclear energy projects frequently face economic hurdles due to the extensive lead times and high capital requirements of manufacturing heavy components.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
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Challenges to Overcome These two challenges are at the heart of his efforts; developing therapies to repair the barrier when it is damaged and, separately, to safely open it for delivering treatments to the brain.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
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This ruling sets a troubling precedent that undermines protections afforded to interstate commerce and impedes site remediation, as well as the safe and effective long-term management of these materials for customers in Michigan and throughout the country.—
Heath Kalb,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
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His attempts to impede the certification of the 2020 election led to him being charged with obstruction of an official proceeding, alongside hundreds of January 6th rioters.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
He's charged with criminal mischief, assault and criminal obstruction of breathing.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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Comey was indicted by a federal grand jury in Virginia on charges of making a false statement and obstruction in connection with nearly 5-year-old testimony to the Senate.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handicap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handicap. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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