hobble 1 of 2

verb

ˈhä-bəl How to pronounce hobble (audio)
Definition of hobblenext
1
as in to impede
to create difficulty for the work or activity of we were hobbled by the snowstorm from getting out to do some Christmas shopping

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to limp
to walk while favoring one leg I hobbled home with a twisted ankle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hobble

2 of 2

noun

as in let

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hobble
Verb
The Republican candidate has been hobbling through the race, with lackluster fundraising and a long history of personal and legal scandals casting a pall over his candidacy. — Matthew Choi, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026 More than doubling the cost of the latest iPhone might risk pricing out customers and hobbling Apple’s ubiquity, analysts suggested. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2026
Noun
In the video, Senior Corporal Edgar Morales was shot in the calf in the initial exchange, and is seen walking with a slight hobble afterward. — Stepheny Price, Fox News, 21 Nov. 2023 The city said in its Thursday release that Chauvin knelt on her for several minutes, even after she had been restrained by a hobble. — Paradise Afshar, CNN, 14 Apr. 2023 See All Example Sentences for hobble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobble
  1. impede
  2. limp
  3. hindrance
  4. hamper
  5. impediment
  6. hinder
  7. fetter
  8. embarrass
Verb
  • But a judge has now paused construction across the region, giving a major boost to landowners who have sought to impede the wall by refusing to cooperate with government surveyors, protesting at county meetings and gearing up for court battles.
    — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The insects tunnel their way into the trunk, impeding the tree’s water and nutrient supply and killing it within a year.
    — Jennifer Oldham, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of impede
Verb
  • Both teams now limp into Saturday's game in Austin with bruised bodies and egos, and carrying a whiff of desperation for a win to keep the season from unraveling.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Seek out care sooner when pain causes limping, swelling persists, function declines, or an injury follows a fall.
    — Michael Swartzon, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of limp
Noun
  • Practical reasons also are common hindrances to leaving, one of which paradoxically concerns safety.
    — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Of course, some artists viewed that as a hindrance down the line, like being caught up in corporate handcuffs.
    — Alex Gonzalez, VIBE.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of hindrance
Verb
  • Capturing towns and roads would hamper Tigrayan fighters without necessarily securing the vast rural areas where the rebel forces regrouped during the previous war, Taylor said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Otherwise, the chemicals can react against each other and hamper recyclability, or worse, release harmful byproducts into the environment.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of hamper
Noun
  • Mitte helped fundraise for Shriner’s Children after being treated at Shriners Hospital for Children in Shreveport, Louisiana, after his diagnosis and for most of his childhood to overcome physical and verbal impediments.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
  • But plans change, and the reservation system restrictions, initially put in place to manage crowding during the COVID-19 pandemic, had increasingly felt like an impediment.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of impediment
Verb
  • And warming temperatures are hindering their ability to perform essential functions.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Royce Moser, 18, is facing charges including murder, while his mother, 56-year-old Rachel Moser, is facing charges including hindering apprehension of a fugitive, according to court records.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of hinder
Noun
  • From forms of development of the productive forces these relations turn into their fetters.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
  • To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony.
    — Jeremy Mennis, The Conversation, 1 May 2026
Definition of fetter
Verb
  • Reese said the exercise left her upset with Smesko and worried about embarrassing herself in front of the team.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Over two games in Tampa, the Rays had embarrassed the Yankees – nearly no hitting them in Game 1 and putting the ball in play and watching the errors ensue in Game 2.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of embarrass

Browse Nearby Words

hobbies
hobble
hobbled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hobble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobble. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fervid

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All