hog-tied 1 of 2

adjective

as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose prosecutors were hog-tied as the convicted felon was freed on a technicality

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hog-tied

2 of 2

verb

past tense of hog-tie
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 hog-tied
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
  1. helpless
  2. hampered
  3. paralyzed
  4. impeded
  5. weak
  6. hindered
  7. embarrassed
  8. obstructed
Adjective
  • Nvidia is the pitiful, helpless giant, now revealed, according to the bears, to have just propped up an ecosystem for its own earnings, with a CEO now revealed to be a dubious character.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026
  • In an America where people my age feel particularly subjugated and helpless, accusing someone else of political and moral impropriety and defending your case with your life can instill in you feelings of reified self-empowerment and control.
    — Ivy Wolk, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of helpless
Verb
  • Severe weather has hampered some recovery efforts, and weather remains a key focus of the investigation.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Barkley, still hampered by injuries, rushed for only 30 yards and a long run of five yards on 13 carries.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of hampered
Adjective
  • These nonverbal characteristics are important for conveying emotion, and paralyzed people unable to move their facial muscles lose their ability to communicate in this critical dimension.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2026
  • She has been held in Tewksbury Hospital since shortly after the killings and remains partially paralyzed due to her suicide attempt.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of paralyzed
Verb
  • The rangers moved the man off the glacier and made multiple attempts to airlift the man off the mountain, but rescue efforts were impeded by inclement weather.
    — Tim Fang, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In his ruling, Judge Joseph Montano found that prosecutors had impeded grand jurors who wanted to hear from defense witnesses.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of impeded
Adjective
  • Trump was implying Ukraine was in a weak negotiating position and did not have the military resources to fight against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
    — Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 2 Nov. 2026
  • And some players are turning on the season as seen by them letting the Jaguars tear through weak tackle attempts to the tune of 183 rushing yards and three passing TDs by Trevor Lawrence.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of weak
Verb
  • Staff say that the sanctions have not hindered the court’s work, but this seems improbable.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 8 Nov. 2026
  • If anything, the faux pas helped rather than hindered Weathers in booking the job.
    — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of hindered
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 embarrassed
Verb
  • License plates need to be clearly visible and not obstructed.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The technology helps robots manipulate objects and navigate around obstacles using touch, including when visual information is unavailable or obstructed.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of obstructed

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Cite this Entry

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

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