1
as in disadvantages
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 obstacles
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 hampers
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 handicaps
ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Young players can be motivated to keep playing more complex games, especially if parents create handicaps that help young kids excel or house rules that are designed for inclusive play.
—Stephanie Ganz, Parents, 8 Mar. 2026
The cars' real handicaps were a lack of liquid cooling for the battery packs.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Secondary school students in less affluent states will find themselves with substandard educational offerings that may serve as handicaps when those students compete with those who have benefited from enriched educational opportunities provided in wealthier states.
—Blake D. Morant, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
All of the electric buses are equipped with accessories for students with handicaps.
—Harley Walls, Arkansas Online, 7 Aug. 2025
Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 2 Mar. 2026
The San Diego Padres have a lot of money tied up in their star position players, which handicaps them in free agency.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025
Rams 23, 49ers 20 Lock of the Week Much was made this week about the Bills failing to acquire a wide receiver at the trade deadline and whether that handicaps their Super Bowl chances.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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
Young players can be motivated to keep playing more complex games, especially if parents create handicaps that help young kids excel or house rules that are designed for inclusive play.
—Stephanie Ganz, Parents, 8 Mar. 2026
The cars' real handicaps were a lack of liquid cooling for the battery packs.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Secondary school students in less affluent states will find themselves with substandard educational offerings that may serve as handicaps when those students compete with those who have benefited from enriched educational opportunities provided in wealthier states.
—Blake D. Morant, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
All of the electric buses are equipped with accessories for students with handicaps.
—Harley Walls, Arkansas Online, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
Warming permanently handicaps the watershed, shrinking the payoff from wet years.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 2 Mar. 2026
The San Diego Padres have a lot of money tied up in their star position players, which handicaps them in free agency.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025
Rams 23, 49ers 20 Lock of the Week Much was made this week about the Bills failing to acquire a wide receiver at the trade deadline and whether that handicaps their Super Bowl chances.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handicaps
Noun
-
Being inside the Vatican bubble has journalistic advantages and disadvantages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The use of wood isn’t without its disadvantages, though, namely one of weight.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Making a robot run is not a simple task and requires precise balance control, terrain handling (uneven surfaces), endurance, navigation, and anti-interference capabilities (noise, obstacles, etc).—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Football matchups featuring the Pac-12 legacy schools make loads of sense but face several obstacles.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
So now our only choice, to protect the state and utility customers from the worst hazards and liabilities these contracts pose, is to challenge the Commission's unlawful approval of these secret data center contracts in the courts.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
When city bureaucrats saw as liabilities schools that had been denied resources, parents saw community anchors.—
Stacy Davis Gates,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Collins announced on Monday that after two years of legal hurdles and negotiations, the project to take over and transform InfoWars is finally getting off the ground.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Developers face a gauntlet of zoning rules, permitting delays, high construction costs, expensive property taxes and local political hurdles, all of which slow or shrink projects before they ever get built.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In San Francisco, the city is modernizing its systems to ensure that, in the event of a disaster, nothing hinders the ability to communicate, coordinate, and respond.—
Max Darrow,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Exercise also reduces chronic inflammation in the brain, which hinders its ability to repair itself, Oye-Somefun said.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the Scot hooked his second shot from a wet fairway on the 609-yard closing hole — a par 5 that yielded only 10 birdies in the final round — and even after getting relief from temporary immovable obstructions, MacIntyre could only hit wedge to 30 feet.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
But there are wild cards, including potential obstructions from Orion’s solar arrays or the body of the spacecraft and uncertainty about how well the vehicle can maintain a consistent orientation.—
Adam Bluestein,
Scientific American,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Let go of whatever impedes your growth.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The weir prohibits the flow of saltwater into the lagoon and impedes the draining of sediment from the lagoon into the ocean.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handicaps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handicaps. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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