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
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
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
-
But when his son Naseer was born in May 2025, Ajas Ahmed had never felt so helpless.
-
Over the course of a 60-yard run, Maradona danced past opponents, escaped challenges and left English defenders helpless before beating the goalkeeper with a clinical finish.
Verb
-
Slowing the virus’ spread has been hampered by the fact that there is no known treatment or vaccine for the new Bundibugyo strain.
-
Peterson was considered by many the top prospect in this year’s class, but his stock was hampered by injury issues during his lone season at Kansas.
Adjective
-
Earlier this year, Neuralink—the world’s most high-profile and well-funded BCI startup—launched a clinical trial to enable paralyzed patients to output verbal thoughts directly as text or speech.
-
McConnell has always appeared to have a somewhat unsteady gate — a childhood bout of polio left him with a partially paralyzed leg.
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Australia assistant coach Paul Okon argued that their goalkeeper Patrick Beach was impeded during the play.
-
They were said to have impeded its free movement, scratching and otherwise damaging the body work.
Adjective
-
Depressed wages, a weak currency and hyperinflation have continued to make life difficult for ordinary Venezuelans, many of whom struggle to afford basic goods.
-
There, the Sox scored on a weak, off-line throw from shallow left fielder José Caballero.
Verb
-
Regulatory barriers have also hindered climate-friendly projects.
-
Regulatory barriers have also hindered climate-friendly projects.
Verb
-
The case has generated intense international attention because of Hoiby's connection to the royal family, who have been embarrassed by it.
-
But Americans don’t want to see the home team embarrassed.
Verb
-
Srebnick also questioned Alber about how the view of the channel marker Pino slammed into was obstructed by other markers.
-
And other cities, counties, and states are pivoting to get residents more information as deals are increasingly obstructed by residents loudly vocalizing opposition.
Cite this Entry
“Hog-tied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hog-tied. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
