Synonyms of stymie

stymie

verb

ˈstī-mē 

as in to impede

to create difficulty for the work or activity of

the raging blizzard stymied the rescuers' attempts to find the stranded mountain climbers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• impede
• hinder
• hamper
• embarrass
• obstruct
• inhibit
• handicap
• disrupt
• interfere (with)
• delay
• restrain
• block
• thwart
• encumber
• hobble
• constrain
• cramp
• clog
• frustrate
• tie up
• handcuff
• hold back
• short-circuit
• shackle
• fetter
• trammel
• stifle
• hog-tie
• curb
• tie
• give a hard time
• rein
• bind
• retard
• manacle
• balk
• cramp one's style
• retain
• hold up
• check
• strangle
• derail
• brake
• sabotage
• choke
• arrest
• confine
• baffle
• smother
• tether
• barricade
• bog (down)
• blockade
• suffocate
• chain
• repress
• leash
• foil
• roadblock
• suppress
• mire
• stump
• muzzle
• halter
• hem (in)
• hedge (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• help
• facilitate
• assist
• aid
• open
• clear
• liberate
• make way
• encourage
• promote
• release
• free
• loosen
• unclog
• unplug
• unstop
• smooth
• further
• untie

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of stymie

Instead, that generation’s gesture seems to be stymied or to miss its target and end in bitterness—which is precisely what gives these artists’ work at its best a poignancy on the other side of its aggression and humor. — Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Trump is no longer stymied by the forces that held him back in his early days. — Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Below, Forbes Coaches Council members share advice to help younger professionals prepare for changing opportunities without being stymied by uncertainty about what comes next. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

The incoming group of lawmakers will either shepherd or stymie the next governor's agenda through the Michigan Capitol. — Clara Hendrickson, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2026

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