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
-
After having put Brazil ahead minutes earlier, Richarlison popped a cross from Vinícius Júnior into the air, spun, and struck a spectacular acrobatic volley past Serbia’s helpless goalkeeper.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 June 2026
-
Sharks often become bycatch – entangled in fishing nets not intended for them, they are rendered helpless and face certain death.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Verb
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In roughly half of the cases, dead foundation species hampered the ability of their living counterparts to reestablish, grow and survive after extreme events.—
John Kominoski,
The Conversation,
10 June 2026
-
Trump has often alleged rampant voter fraud that has hampered Republicans’ success, and his base has largely accepted these sentiments to be true, despite no evidence backing up his accusations.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Daily News,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Hollywood on a bad day is paralyzed, absolutely paralyzed, and incapable of making new decisions.—
Benjamin VanHoose,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
-
One of the bullets hit the teen’s spine, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, his mother said.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2026
Verb
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Macy’s was notorious in its industry for how siloed its teams and culture were, characteristics that impeded prior turnaround efforts until Spring, CEO since 2024, instilled a culture of self-examination and an ability to admit mistakes before quickly moving on.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
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Aid workers have also told CNN that the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and US funding cuts carried out prior to the outbreak have impeded the response.—
Erikas Mwisi,
CNN Money,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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But his father contracted pneumonia in 2011, and after two decades in prison, his body was too weak to fight it.—
Yumi Asada,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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That gap is where signal blindness, misalignment, bottlenecks, execution delays and weak learning loops quietly convert external change into our fragilities.—
Christopher Washington,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Gansey is already at work as Philadelphia's latest president of basketball operations, trying to find ways to raise the team to a championship level, while deeply hindered by near-untradeable, unwanted contracts tied to aging and unreliable Joel Embiid and Paul George.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
-
Injuries have hindered the 27-year-old Frasso’s development.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
7 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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The Justice Department was required to prove Lander knowingly and unreasonably obstructed the usual use of elevators and an elevator lobby.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
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Investigators allege renovation bosses used flammable scaffolding netting and foam boards, obstructed escape routes and falsified oversight records, putting profit over safety in the Wang Fuk Court housing complex.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hog-tied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hog-tied. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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