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
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By contrast, the publication of his translation of Kafka in Italian in the spring of 1983 left him feeling empty, helpless, defenseless.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
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All the sweeping expansiveness snaps shut with a sudden health crisis for Kristen, its onset signaled with masterful concision in a middle-of-the-night calamity that leaves her helpless.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Verb
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But most summit speakers treated circularity—a nebulous concept at the best of times—largely as an engineering challenge, one hampered by immature infrastructure, policy gaps and weak economics.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
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The company is seeking to create a Duchenne gene therapy that is more effective and safer than Sarepta Therapeutics’ Elevidys, which has been hampered by safety concerns, particularly following the deaths of two recipients from liver failure.—
Jason Mast,
STAT,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Her mother-in-law stopped eating and later became paralyzed.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
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Each cell is stocked with paralyzed tree crickets, katydids and other orthoptera insects.—
Pamm Cooper,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Verb
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During the next three weeks, mobile internet was impeded or shut off in the center of Moscow.—
Joshua Yaffa,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
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Two off-the-field issues also impeded Gonzalez’s progress as a player.—
Steve Reaven,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Free agency is weak, so the best bet will be the trade market.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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The original vision of the Accords – of a rapidly expanding regional bloc openly aligned with Israel and integrated economically across the Middle East – has become a significantly weaker prospect.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
15 May 2026
Verb
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His game was based on his athletic prowess in the challenges and ability to provide food to camp, and hindered by his lack of social strategy, which proved to be his downfall each of the four times he’s previously returned.—
Nic Juarez,
Vulture,
12 May 2026
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So that lack of continuity may have hindered him, possibly.—
Ed Guzman,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
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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
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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
-
Vents should be kept free of leaves, dirt, and debris, and not be obstructed by vegetation.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
14 May 2026
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Prosecutors said Lopez Insua’s view was obstructed by the cargo, a deckhouse and crane on the barge.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hog-tied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hog-tied. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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