ham·string
ˈham-ˌstriŋ 
1
a
: either of two groups of tendons at the back of the human knee
b
: any of three muscles at the back of the thigh that function to flex and rotate the leg and extend the thigh
2
: a large tendon above and behind the hock of a quadruped
hamstrung
ˈham-ˌstrəŋ
; hamstringing
ˈham-ˌstriŋ-iŋ
; hamstrings
; hamstringing
ˈham-ˌstriŋ-iŋ
; hamstrings
1
: to make ineffective or powerless : disable
hamstrung by guilt
2
: to deprive of the use of a leg by cutting the leg tendons
Examples of hamstring in a Sentence
Verb
The mayor tried to hamstring our efforts by cutting the budget.
The company claims it is being hamstrung by government regulations.
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Barrows, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2025
Egbuka will undergo further testing on Tuesday to determine the severity of his hamstring injury.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Marley Marius, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
But Flacco was hamstrung by receivers who can't catch and an offensive line that rarely afforded him time.
—Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hamstring
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.
Noun
George Kittle, meanwhile, is expected to practice this week, his first since straining a hamstring in Week 1.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2025
Egbuka will undergo further testing on Tuesday to determine the severity of his hamstring injury.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
Another professor, Alma (Julia Roberts), is the first person Maggie speaks to about what happened, and Alma’s reaction sets up the film’s faceted examination of privilege, identity politics, and what goes on in a cloistered community hamstrung by its own mores.
—Marley Marius, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
But Flacco was hamstrung by receivers who can't catch and an offensive line that rarely afforded him time.
—Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hamstring
Cite this Entry
“Hamstring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hamstring. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hamstring
1 of 2 noun
ham·string
ˈham-ˌstriŋ
1
: either of two groups of tendons at the back of the human knee
2
: any of three muscles at the back of the thigh that function to extend the thigh, rotate the leg, and bend the knee
hamstring
2 of 2 verb
hamstrung
-ˌstrəŋ
; hamstringing
-ˌstriŋ-iŋ
1
: to cripple by cutting the leg tendons
2
: to make ineffective or powerless : cripple
hamstrung by restrictions
Medical Definition
hamstring
1 of 2 noun
ham·string
ˈham-ˌstriŋ
1
a
: either of two groups of tendons bounding the upper part of the popliteal space at the back of the knee and forming the tendons of insertion of some muscles of the back of the thigh
b
2
: a large tendon above and behind the hock of a quadruped corresponding to the human Achilles tendon
hamstring
2 of 2 transitive verb
hamstrung
-ˌstrəŋ
; hamstringing
-ˌstriŋ-iŋ
; hamstringing
-ˌstriŋ-iŋ
: to cripple by cutting the leg tendons
folklore has it that wolf packs try to hamstring their prey—John Madson
John MadsonLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share