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
-
Sure, Cignetti wants to beat the s— out of every opponent, especially helpless Purdue.—
Jason Kirk,
New York Times,
5 May 2026
-
Punk appeared helpless as Reigns picked him up.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Abreu came through again with a sacrifice fly to score Jarren Duran in the bottom of the inning, but the potential Red Sox rally was hampered after Willson Contreras was thrown out at second trying to stretch a single into a double for the inning’s first out.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
8 May 2026
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The wear and tear of lengthy overtimes also hampered the Mammoth’s skaters.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
6 May 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
-
Meanwhile, the rest of the NBA is widely expected to be more competitive next season — from the bottom tier, where anti-tanking regulations and a weaker draft class should curb teams’ intentional losing, to the upper echelons, where Oklahoma City and San Antonio stand tall.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
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Conditions change quickly, signals conflict with each other, and weak assumptions tend to get exposed without much delay.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Nearly 9 in 10 workers said burnout has hindered their productivity.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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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
-
The company also allegedly provides refunds when the line of sight into Wrigley Field is obstructed.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 May 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Hog-tied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hog-tied. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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