hamstrung 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of hamstrungnext
1
as in unsuccessful
not producing the desired result several hamstrung attempts to reorganize the local parent-teacher association were made

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hamstrung

2 of 2

verb

past tense of hamstring
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstrung
  1. unsuccessful
  2. paralyzed
  3. crippled
  4. inefficient
  5. helpless
  6. undermined
  7. counterproductive
  8. weak
Adjective
  • But the Supreme Court denied the court order and requests to President Donald Trump from family, supporters and her attorney were unsuccessful.
    — Nicole Acosta, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Min and Chris’ closest friends, Kelly Marie Tran’s Angela, a research scientist, and Lily Gladstone’s Lee, an Indigenous community organizer, have been struggling to conceive a child; Lee has just found out that her second round of IVF has been unsuccessful.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of unsuccessful
Adjective
  • Allen survived but was left permanently paralyzed, according to police.
    — Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2025
  • According to the release, any savings from ending this type of care will go to supporting paralyzed veterans and amputees.
    — Jaden Amos, Axios, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of paralyzed
Verb
  • His vengeance included turning Michigan State in for NCAA violations, leading to probation that crippled the program until the late 1970s.
    — Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
  • As the city litigated and revised the environmental impact report, two devastating storms in December 2023 and February 2024 — the same series that crippled San Diego’s Ocean Beach Pier — substantially damaged the wharf.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024
Definition of crippled
Adjective
  • The erosion of wealth due to inefficient tax structures underscores the importance of working with specialists who understand how to leverage available tools effectively.
    — Ethan Stone, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025
  • But the small farms are inefficient and help explain a national poverty rate of more than 30%, the bank points out.
    — Francine Kiefer, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2025
Definition of inefficient
Adjective
  • More generally, some people are concerned that becoming too reliant on AI for menial and routine tasks could lead to us becoming over-reliant and helpless, perhaps even to the detriment of human problem-solving or decision-making ability.
    — Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Asking for help isn’t the same as being helpless, Pryor noted.
    — Megan Sauer, CNBC, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of helpless
Verb
  • For far too long, age discrimination has quietly undermined the security of older workers.
    — Gary A. Officer, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
  • He is also set on handing his successor a strong economy -- a feat that could be undermined by a sudden energy shock reprising the price spikes earlier in his administration.
    — Jeff Stein and Ellen Nakashima The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 25 Dec. 2024
Definition of undermined
Adjective
  • Cleaner air is always appealing, but rushing into sweeping regulatory shifts that will have little long-term effect would be counterproductive.
    — Ryan Nawrocki, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2025
  • When Musk is in a bad mood, well, an interview is usually counterproductive.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of counterproductive
Adjective
  • Then, McIlroy hit a weak drive to the right and was blocked by pines.
    — Time, Time, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Meta Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead called the case weak and a deterrent to tech investment in a blog post on Sunday.
    — Jody Godoy, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of weak
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.

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hamstrings
hamstrung
hand
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Cite this Entry

“Hamstrung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstrung. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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