1
as in hampering
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in limping
to walk while favoring one leg
I hobbled home with a twisted ankle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of hobbling
Against a Connecticut team more difficult to kill than a cockroach in body armor and their leading scorer hobbling around with a knee sprain, ankle sprain and bone bruise, the Wolverines gutted out every point in their 69-63 national championship victory.
—
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
The impact sends both men hurling to the pavement, and the shoeless rear passenger can be seen hobbling on one foot afterward.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
Jaden McDaniels, who had 25 points and valiant defense on Rockets star Kevin Durant all night, started hobbling down the stretch of the fourth quarter and had to be pulled.
—CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
While the Rockets enter Thursday’s home game seeded third in the West and winners of seven of 10, the visiting and hobbling Warriors (31-30) are clinging to the eighth seed after losing two in a row.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
Falling returns, investment exit worries, longer holding periods and tougher fundraising conditions are hobbling the private equity industry, with experts warning that only the strongest will survive.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Jordan Goodwin scored 17 points off the bench for the Suns before hobbling off the court in the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury.
—ABC News, 21 Feb. 2026
The right guard has pushed through a lot of injuries during his three seasons with the franchise, often hobbling around the locker room before crushing down on defensive linemen on Sundays.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 15 Jan. 2026
After hobbling off the field, the signal-caller attempted to continue to play but the Chiefs then had to call in their emergency quarterback, Chris Oladokun.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
The impact sends both men hurling to the pavement, and the shoeless rear passenger can be seen hobbling on one foot afterward.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
Jaden McDaniels, who had 25 points and valiant defense on Rockets star Kevin Durant all night, started hobbling down the stretch of the fourth quarter and had to be pulled.
—CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
While the Rockets enter Thursday’s home game seeded third in the West and winners of seven of 10, the visiting and hobbling Warriors (31-30) are clinging to the eighth seed after losing two in a row.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
Falling returns, investment exit worries, longer holding periods and tougher fundraising conditions are hobbling the private equity industry, with experts warning that only the strongest will survive.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Jordan Goodwin scored 17 points off the bench for the Suns before hobbling off the court in the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury.
—ABC News, 21 Feb. 2026
The right guard has pushed through a lot of injuries during his three seasons with the franchise, often hobbling around the locker room before crushing down on defensive linemen on Sundays.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 15 Jan. 2026
After hobbling off the field, the signal-caller attempted to continue to play but the Chiefs then had to call in their emergency quarterback, Chris Oladokun.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hobbling
Verb
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Brian Hooker reported his wife missing on Sunday, April 5, saying she had been swept away from a dingy which lost power the night before, hampering his ability to seek help.—
Cristian Benavides,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
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The moves have reportedly left the task force without prosecutors with national security experience, hampering its goal to root out American connections to the Hamas attacks (which included 40 Americans among its approximately 1,200 victims).—
Andrew Lapin,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Warriors are limping into the postseason with most of their ideal starting lineup either out for the season with a knee injury (Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody) or battling chronic injuries (Steph Curry, Kristaps Porzingis).—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
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Ovechkin turns 41 in September, but the league's all-time leading goal scorer with 929 isn't exactly limping to the end of his brilliant career.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In January, Geren notified more than 50 of the 62 Democrats that each owes $9,200 in fines and other charges for impeding the progress of the House by not showing up in the Capitol last August as lawmakers deliberated a plan to overhaul the state's congressional map.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Apr. 2026
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Miller's family members openly accused then-sheriff Marion Joe Russell of impeding the investigation, as Nipp was Russell's nephew.—
Jessie Christopher Smith,
Oklahoman,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Through the fall and winter, as the Justice Department demanded that states turn over confidential voter roll information, Team America worked to solve problems hindering the use of digital tools to comb the lists for noncitizens who had illegally registered to vote.—
Doug Bock Clark,
ProPublica,
13 Apr. 2026
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After Congress rejected those cuts earlier this year, the White House slowed the release of NIH grant money, hindering ongoing and future scientific research.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This risks embarrassing them if it is damaged and there is nothing that can be done about it.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
9 Apr. 2026
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And when that happens, Jamahl Mosley — a good coach and an even better man — will be the fall guy for a team that is embarrassing itself on a national scale and getting exposed in the league standings.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In 2004, after years of incompetent, wasteful and corrupt agencies obstructing basic and legal public records requests, the California Assembly and Senate voted unanimously to put Proposition 59 before voters.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
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But constant artificial light has also become a problem, affecting sleep quality, disrupting plant and animal biorhythms and obstructing our views of the cosmos.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hobbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hobbling. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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