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

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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

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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
Reagan hobbled to a seat in the Yellow Oval Room, started to sit down and fell the rest of the way, collapsing into his chair. — Bob Woodward, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 Unfortunately for the Chargers, the offensive line is still severely hobbled. — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 17 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
  • That is, using AI to fix problems and do work that slows and impedes the creative process.
    — Mark Schilling, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Pain that lasts for more than a day and impedes your regular activities is.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of impede
Verb
  • Dali limped into the postgame press conference with a blank look on her face, seemingly still in disbelief over what had just happened.
    — Fernando Ramirez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Marginal companies may limp along until insider support ends, and many could then shut down.
    — Ivan Nikkhoo, Forbes.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of limp
Noun
  • Davidson is coming off a bruising primary battle — that likely won’t help him, but may not be that big of a hindrance, Lyons said.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Practical reasons also are common hindrances to leaving, one of which paradoxically concerns safety.
    — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of hindrance
Verb
  • Simmons, hampered by a leg injury after a QB draw in the fourth quarter, threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns on 23-of-43 accuracy.
    — PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Colonialism herded these Indigenous communities directly in the path of the bears’ ancient migration, and now hunting regulations hamper their ability to manage the population.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of hamper
Noun
  • The statement said four members of the Bolsonaro family presented valid documentation and had no legal impediments to entering the country, despite the fact that Brazilian Justice had annulled their passports.
    — Florencia Cabral, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
  • While several leaders in my survey described stagnant information flows as an impediment to responding to overlapping disruptions, a few also reported tackling internal communications as a way to deal with polycrisis.
    — Carol Geffner, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of impediment
Verb
  • Spending weeks and months to build an AI strategy without testing hinders the ability to react.
    — Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Stocks historically tend to rally after the midterms anyway, but this time around, some were worried the solid run-up in the S&P 500 this year was going to potentially hinder those gains.
    — Sean Conlon, CNBC, 4 Nov. 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
  • The Jets have already been embarrassed by the Bears and Dolphins this season.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The colliding scandals embarrassed the city of South Lake Tahoe, a Sierra Nevada enclave of about 21,000 people near the Nevada border, where residents addressed the situation at an emotional City Council meeting last year.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of embarrass

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Cite this Entry

“Hobble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobble. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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