as in to paralyze
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
the downtown development committee claims that it's hamstrung by city ordinances protecting historic buildings
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Recent Examples of hamstring
Liverpool’s much lower figure here should mean the club has more free cash for new transfer activity, as they’re not hamstrung by large payments on historic deals.
—
Chris Weatherspoon, The Athletic, 20 Mar. 2025
The administration has insisted that the country has been hamstrung by tariffs imposed by other countries.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
But now it’s been hamstrung by more than 1 billion Canadian dollars in debt, a weak consumer economy and an inability to pay bills.
—David Moin, WWD, 24 Mar. 2025
Massive layoffs initiated this week at the Education Department could hamstring the federal government’s efforts to assist students with disabilities, former officials and education experts said, citing blows to the agency’s civil rights and research divisions.
—Adam Edelman, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hamstring
Chris Weatherspoon, The Athletic, 20 Mar. 2025
The administration has insisted that the country has been hamstrung by tariffs imposed by other countries.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
But now it’s been hamstrung by more than 1 billion Canadian dollars in debt, a weak consumer economy and an inability to pay bills.
—David Moin, WWD, 24 Mar. 2025
Massive layoffs initiated this week at the Education Department could hamstring the federal government’s efforts to assist students with disabilities, former officials and education experts said, citing blows to the agency’s civil rights and research divisions.
—Adam Edelman, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hamstring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstring
Verb
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This clarity prevents the confusion about who's in charge that often paralyzes organizations.—
Jennifer J. Fondrevay,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
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The closures have angered local business owners and caused congestion on detour routes that frequently paralyzes the streets of Wharton along with surrounding communities in Morris County.—
Jared Kofsky,
ABC News,
17 May 2025
Verb
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About six weeks ago, hackers crippled the computer systems of the TV and mobile phone provider Dish Network.—
Shira Ovide,
Washington Post,
4 Apr. 2023
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Oakland Mills Coach: Chris Brewington Last season: Class 2A state champion Outlook: Losing the talent Oakland Mills did from last year’s outdoor season would cripple most programs, but the Scorpions have reloaded.—
Anthony Maluso,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Mar. 2023
Verb
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Trump has pursued policies that have repeatedly undermined the agenda of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—and show that divisions between the United States and Israel are widening.—
Daniel Byman,
The Atlantic,
24 May 2025
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Things could have been better still had Leclerc’s race not been undermined by the timing of the two safety cars.—
Dan Cancian,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Verb
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Bias, inaccuracies and missing values can all weaken model reliability.—
Tor Constantino,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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Coercing democratic allies such as Canada or Denmark more broadly weakens trust in U.S. alliances; threatening Panama reawakens fears of imperialism throughout Latin America; crippling the U.S. Agency for International Development undercuts the United States’ reputation for benevolence.—
Robert O. Keohane,
Foreign Affairs,
2 June 2025
Verb
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To pry the babies away from their mothers, poachers often kill or incapacitate the mothers and their troops, prosecutors said in the release.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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Thousands more were injured or incapacitated by the cold weather.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hamstring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstring. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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