as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
prosecutors were hog-tied as the convicted felon was freed on a technicality
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hampered
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
their principals' inflexible demands virtually hog-tied the diplomats' efforts to negotiate a peace treaty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hog-tied
Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 15 May 2026
Most damning of all is that her body was found hog-tied in a conspicuously similar fashion as Reynolds’ previous presumptive victim, Bunny Davis.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
Well, for one, the go-to induction method is being roused from your bed in the middle of the night, hog-tied, and tossed in a van.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
In fact, police questioned several other men in connection with the murder of Weaver, who was hog-tied, raped and strangled by her attacker, who then set a fire in her bedroom to cover his tracks, court papers state.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 15 May 2026
Most damning of all is that her body was found hog-tied in a conspicuously similar fashion as Reynolds’ previous presumptive victim, Bunny Davis.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
Well, for one, the go-to induction method is being roused from your bed in the middle of the night, hog-tied, and tossed in a van.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hog-tied
Adjective
-
Over the course of a 60-yard run, Maradona danced past opponents, escaped challenges and left English defenders helpless before beating the goalkeeper with a clinical finish.—
Cesar R. Torres,
The Conversation,
17 June 2026
-
Arturo has grown used to driving by traffic stops, then circling back to move his friends’ and neighbors’ abandoned cars to their helpless families left behind.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Withington noted that international sanctions have hampered Moscow’s ability to access the technology needed to develop new systems capable of engaging these Ukrainian attacks.—
Gianluca Mezzofiore,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
-
Russia’s determination to maintain a tight grip on AI development has hampered its own efforts to advance the technology.—
Nikita Ostrovsky,
Time,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
McConnell has always appeared to have a somewhat unsteady gate — a childhood bout of polio left him with a partially paralyzed leg.—
Eric McDaniel,
NPR,
14 June 2026
-
Your stomach isn’t literally paralyzed — but it’s slowed down enough to cause real problems.—
Ryan Brennan,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
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They were said to have impeded its free movement, scratching and otherwise damaging the body work.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
-
Trump advisers have said the South Korea trade deal will remain impeded until there’s a resolution over the Coupang issue.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
But lingering high ticket prices combined with weaker teams might mean sparse attendance.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
-
Tokyo wants to appear to be fighting a weak yen, while welcoming it in private.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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This low position is likely hindered by a reliance on offensive statistics that puts less value on Brind’Amour’s defensive abilities.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Smith, who played for the Missouri Tigers in college, rose to fame quickly after he was drafted into the NFL but his rise to stardom was hindered by a series of legal issues that included 10 arrests in nine years, according to ESPN.—
Deena Zaru,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
But Americans don’t want to see the home team embarrassed.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
-
Some fans weighed in on his outfit choice on social media, sparking conversations about if the actor might have embarrassed his wife.—
Juliana Ukiomogbe,
InStyle,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Srebnick also questioned Alber about how the view of the channel marker Pino slammed into was obstructed by other markers.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
15 June 2026
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And other cities, counties, and states are pivoting to get residents more information as deals are increasingly obstructed by residents loudly vocalizing opposition.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hog-tied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hog-tied. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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