1
as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result
several hamstrung attempts to reorganize the local parent-teacher association were made
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in paralyzed
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
hamstrung by recent congressional limitations on executive power, the president can do little in this situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in crippled
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move
the downtown development committee claims that it's hamstrung by city ordinances protecting historic buildings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of hamstrung
Brian McCollum, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Haithcock said schools have been financially hamstrung since Act 10 – the Scott Walker-era landmark law in 2011 that curtailed union bargaining power and cut take-home pay for workers – especially amid declining student enrollment.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The lingering animosity, in his view, hamstrung budget talks and the passage of the Legislature’s most consequential proposals.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
In Oregon, too, where gray wolves have been established for longer, ranchers feel hamstrung.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2026
At the outset of the Hot Stove Season, the Mets moved fan-favorite Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in return for sure-handed, but potentially bat-hamstrung second baseman, Marcus Semien.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Yet, spending significantly more long-term money on one closer compared to the alternatives on the market could wind up leaving the Mets financially hamstrung.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
Conservatives, who have long sought to reduce the size of the federal workforce, say Trump should not be hamstrung.
—Carlos Waters, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
The exact impacts are unclear, but airports, Amtrak trains and wildfire response would probably not be hamstrung, officials told Bay Area News Group on Monday.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026
The energy shock reverberating from the war in Iran has hamstrung the global economy.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
So many relationships get hamstrung by one or both partners expecting the other to read their minds.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
After last year, this clearly talented team can only go up as long as they're not hamstrung by injuries (again).
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
In addition to higher construction costs, the convention center expansion is hamstrung by the city’s lack of control over a key waterfront parcel that would be needed to complete the project.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
But others are designed for running on servers and can take up many gigabytes of space on a hard drive; they’d be hamstrung by your computer’s memory, which is no match for data-center systems.
—Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle, 21 Feb. 2026
And Mass Development, the state agency that supports small business projects, was hamstrung by federal rules that also exclude multi-use projects.
—Elizabeth MacBride, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Business owners and executives who disapproved of the tariffs said their companies were hamstrung by higher prices for inputs, lower product demand, supply chain shortages and a reluctance to hire or invest due to uncertainty over trade deals and a prolonged government shutdown.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Still, amid his newfound songwriting success, Gordy felt hamstrung by the realities of the record biz.
—Brian McCollum, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Haithcock said schools have been financially hamstrung since Act 10 – the Scott Walker-era landmark law in 2011 that curtailed union bargaining power and cut take-home pay for workers – especially amid declining student enrollment.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
The lingering animosity, in his view, hamstrung budget talks and the passage of the Legislature’s most consequential proposals.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
In Oregon, too, where gray wolves have been established for longer, ranchers feel hamstrung.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2026
At the outset of the Hot Stove Season, the Mets moved fan-favorite Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in return for sure-handed, but potentially bat-hamstrung second baseman, Marcus Semien.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Yet, spending significantly more long-term money on one closer compared to the alternatives on the market could wind up leaving the Mets financially hamstrung.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
Conservatives, who have long sought to reduce the size of the federal workforce, say Trump should not be hamstrung.
—Carlos Waters, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
The exact impacts are unclear, but airports, Amtrak trains and wildfire response would probably not be hamstrung, officials told Bay Area News Group on Monday.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
The state is hamstrung in its redistricting efforts despite a Republican trifecta by a constitutional amendment barring maps favoring a specific party.
—Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 23 Apr. 2026
The energy shock reverberating from the war in Iran has hamstrung the global economy.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
So many relationships get hamstrung by one or both partners expecting the other to read their minds.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
After last year, this clearly talented team can only go up as long as they're not hamstrung by injuries (again).
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
In addition to higher construction costs, the convention center expansion is hamstrung by the city’s lack of control over a key waterfront parcel that would be needed to complete the project.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
But others are designed for running on servers and can take up many gigabytes of space on a hard drive; they’d be hamstrung by your computer’s memory, which is no match for data-center systems.
—Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle, 21 Feb. 2026
And Mass Development, the state agency that supports small business projects, was hamstrung by federal rules that also exclude multi-use projects.
—Elizabeth MacBride, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Business owners and executives who disapproved of the tariffs said their companies were hamstrung by higher prices for inputs, lower product demand, supply chain shortages and a reluctance to hire or invest due to uncertainty over trade deals and a prolonged government shutdown.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstrung
Adjective
-
The mammal’s health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters, and unsuccessful efforts to coax it toward deeper seas were livestreamed across the globe.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The child was taken to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Azle, where additional lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful, the sheriff's office said.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Now at 21, Lucy’s family is helping her rebuild after the spinal stroke left her paralyzed from the neck down.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
-
After colliding with a car that ended up in her racing path on Sunday, she's been left paralyzed from the neck down.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That has crippled Iran’s two biggest non-oil exports, and higher prices have affected everything from plastics to pipes, to fabrics and packaging for groceries like milk, butter and cheese.—
Amir-Hussein Radjy,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
That has crippled Iran’s two biggest non-oil exports, and higher prices have affected everything from plastics to pipes, to fabrics and packaging for groceries like milk, butter and cheese.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The middle innings are when things tend to get inefficient for Peralta.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The idea for Revise emerged from Sapek’s observations of how documents are handled in professional settings, where workflows can involve multiple versions, inefficient copying and pasting between chat apps and word processors, and limited visibility into revision history.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Punk appeared helpless as Reigns picked him up.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The show’s name referred to their self-identification as helpless babies overwhelmed by the pressures of modernity, comforted only by coating themselves in fancy serums and moisturizers to recreate the peaceful, placental insulation of the womb.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a statement, District Attorney Alvin Bragg said prosecutors had interviewed dozens of witnesses and conducted an in-depth document review that significantly undermined the case presented at trial.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Trump’s attempts to interfere with the Fed’s decision-making has sparked concern the central bank’s credibility post-Powell is already being undermined.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Western dominance over cross-border media flows and the increasing concentration of ownership of national and international media by a limited number of Western conglomerates were identified as counterproductive to such ideals.—
Stijn Joye,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The departure of Matt Roy was hedged somewhat by the signing of Joel Edmundson two summers ago, but replacing Vladislav Gavrikov and Jordan Spence with Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci while Drew Doughty, 36 and in his 18th season, grays and frays has proven highly counterproductive.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Viel made a weak pass that led to the goal but had a strong hit on McDavid in the opening 20 minutes as well.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
With the uncertainty caused by the war with Iran, the price of oil going through the roof, and tariffs complicating company supply chains, analysts expected the labor market to get weaker.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hamstrung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstrung. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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