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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

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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

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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
  • What bothers Fairchild is the assumption behind it — that the dancers are voiceless and helpless.
    — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Y’know, the two living, breathing, helpless children forced to sit idle while their mother and (almost) step-father constantly and brazenly risk abandoning them.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of helpless
Verb
  • The favorite was Lamar Jackson, who was later hampered by injuries and finished with a career-low rushing output.
    — Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Poor air quality and limited visibility have also hampered firefighting efforts, carried out with equipment from Japan that arrived on Thursday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of hampered
Adjective
  • Lasko suffered the spinal cord injury in a collision with a teammate June 30 that left him paralyzed from the chest down, with both arms affected, too.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The former labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston then jumped from a second-story window in an apparent suicide attempt, which left her paralyzed from the waist down.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of paralyzed
Verb
  • There was a clear opposition to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) implemented by the European Union, alongside other unilateral measures that members believe have impeded trade.
    — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The Bab el-Mandeb’s importance to global oil supplies has grown since shipping through the nearby Strait of Hormuz has been impeded by Iran during its war with the United States and Israel.
    — Ahmed al-Haj, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of impeded
Adjective
  • Ferries are a common method of travel and accidents occur regularly, in part due to weak enforcement of safety standards.
    — IMAN SATRIA, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • This time a year ago, a weak La Niña — El Niño’s cool counterpart — was in place, and only a handful of other years have had such a rapid flip to a potent El Niño, including the strongest ever event from 1982 to 1983.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of weak
Verb
  • His company’s growth is being hindered by its inability to hire people fast enough.
    — Pat Gelsinger, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Regional insecurity has also hindered efforts to detect and contain the outbreak.
    — STEPHANIE PSAKI, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of hindered
Verb
  • Yeah, the Cardinals — led by rookie head coach Mike LaFleur, the Rams’ former offensive coordinator — embarrassed the Bolts at home.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The disclosure embarrassed senior officials, led to White House aide Scooter Libby’s conviction for perjury, later commuted, and drew intense political scrutiny.
    — Brian O'Neill, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of embarrassed
Verb
  • Yoon has defended his action, calling it a desperate attempt to draw public support for his fight against the liberal opposition Democratic Party that obstructed his agenda.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Fake, obstructed, and missing plates are a major concern with cars and undoubtedly would be with MMVs.
    — Richard Robbins, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of obstructed

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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 Sep. 2026.

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