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
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
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
-
Punk appeared helpless as Reigns picked him up.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The show’s name referred to their self-identification as helpless babies overwhelmed by the pressures of modernity, comforted only by coating themselves in fancy serums and moisturizers to recreate the peaceful, placental insulation of the womb.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The court issued a ruling that limits consideration of race in drawing voting maps — potentially a boon for Republicans, who have been hampered by the civil rights law in their attempt to redraw maps in Louisiana, Alabama and other states.—
Matthew Choi,
Washington Post,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Connor McDavid looked ordinary at best, clearly hampered by his injury.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
One of the bullets in Monday’s shooting hit the teen’s spine, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, his mother said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The result is a paralyzed country where the most vulnerable populations.—
Sarah Moreno
Updated April 29,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Catholic-Protestant divide impeded North American solidarity.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
GasBuddy expects that if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked or significantly impeded through Memorial Day, the national average price of gas could surpass the all‑time record of $5 per gallon.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Based on the popular 1960s spy sitcom, this weak adaptation casts Steve Carell as a bumbling secret agent, with Hathaway as his more competent partner and developing love interest.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
In particular, researchers experimentally demonstrated quadsqueezing, a complex fourth-order quantum interaction previously considered too weak to observe.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Nearly 9 in 10 workers said burnout has hindered their productivity.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Rams boss Les Snead and Chiefs leadership tandem Andy Reid and Brett Veach don’t seem hindered by obstacles either, despite later draft slots and paying future Hall of Fame quarterbacks.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That this series has flipped on its head seemed almost impossible last Sunday, when the Celtics embarrassed Philadelphia in a Game 4 win on the Sixers’ home floor.—
Tobias Bass,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
The Mets were embarrassed by the Washington Nationals in an 14-2 blowout to even up the series at one game apiece.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors claim Tucker-Fleischfresser did not ensure that the resident received the prescribed insulin and obstructed the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs investigation.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The lawsuit claims that during Pope’s investigation, assistant city manager Charlie Dissell and City Attorney Holly Dodge actively obstructed and hindered him from obtaining polygraph exams that had been approved.—
Ben Wheeler
April 28,
Kansas City Star,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hog-tied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hog-tied. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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