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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • The blast rings out as the helpless attorney watches in horror.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 22 July 2026
  • Schiavio is slipped in on the right and his first-time shot goes in off the crossbar with Planicka a mere, helpless spectator.
    — Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of helpless
Verb
  • But even use of that system is being hampered because state officials haven’t been trained in how to enter cyclosporiasis cases yet.
    — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • The search was hampered by the fact that Horan’s gravestone, like many at Blake Street, had eroded to the point that it could no longer be identified.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2026
Definition of hampered
Adjective
  • The egg hatches into a legless larva that consumes the paralyzed insect.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026
  • Before the operation, Marc said he and his wife, Adie, were warned their son could lose his sight or become paralyzed.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
Definition of paralyzed
Verb
  • Technological precision impeded the potential of inspiring victories from the likes of Iran, Croatia, and Egypt.
    — Sean Gregory, Time, 20 July 2026
  • The result is a meditative action movie both immense and intimate, albeit one whose flow is impeded by the inherently episodic nature of the nonlinear source material and some questionable casting choices.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
Definition of impeded
Adjective
  • Last fall, major lenders reported that business was booming despite a sluggish art market, arguing that collectors preferred borrowing against valuable works rather than selling into weaker conditions.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 29 July 2026
  • Goods consumption is weak, while services consumption is outperforming, running above headline GDP growth, Liao said.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 29 July 2026
Definition of weak
Verb
  • Aid organizations have said that community mistrust, insecurity due to armed conflict, and gaps in healthcare have hindered response and containment efforts.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • The suspense grows more effective past the one-hour mark, once Dama takes control of the narrative, with Irina, Rosa and Giulia variably helped and hindered by her steely mechanizations.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2026
Definition of hindered
Verb
  • One month later, Europe embarrassed the United States on American soil at the Ryder Cup.
    — Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2026
  • The suitors embarrassed themselves one by one, until Antinous demanded Penelope simply choose the best of them.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
Definition of embarrassed
Verb
  • His view of the water in front of him was obstructed by the concrete debris, a deckhouse and a crane on the barge, prosecutors said.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
  • In a 2022 request to interview Floris and Benavides, the senators said the episode frustrated and obstructed their oversight.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 19 July 2026
Definition of obstructed

Browse Nearby Words

hog-tie
hog-tied
hog-ties
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hog-tied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hog-tied. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All