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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hog-tied
Adjective
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Not long after, Brady looked helpless on his final snap as a Patriot, standing at the 1-yard line with nine seconds left because of that maneuver, which Stretch stole from Brady’s head coach and turned against them both.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
7 Aug. 2025 -
As for the Aces, Vegas has lost two in a row and looked helpless last time out, losing 109-78 to the Minnesota Lynx.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 July 2025
Adjective
-
That fortune extended to Rice himself, who could have been maimed or paralyzed or otherwise unable to walk away.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
18 July 2025
-
At the wedding of one of her clients, matchmaker Lucy knows just what to ask when the bride-to-be becomes paralyzed by trepidation.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
The provision was ratified in the late nineteen-eighties, but conservatives allied with the country’s agricultural lobby have long impeded its enforcement.—
Julian Lucas,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Poor governance and economic stewardship have impeded the region’s development and generated the grievances behind the Arab Spring.—
Marwan Muasher,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
And if tariffs only cause a one-time jump in prices, weaker purchasing power could slow the economy.—
Raul Elizalde,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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The airline cited weak travel demand and financial challenges.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The status of the third remained unknown, but snow obstructed a full view of the nest.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
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Yoon apologized for his brief martial law decree, but later doubled down and defended the move, arguing the liberal party obstructed his political agenda.—
Sophia Vento,
The Hill,
8 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Hog-tied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hog-tied. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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