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Golf was being played in Scotland as early as the 15th century, but it wasn't until the 19th century that the sport really caught on in England and North America. It was also in the 19th century that the word stymie entered English as a noun referring to a golfing situation in which one player's ball lies between another ball and the hole on the putting green, thereby blocking the line of play. Later, stymie came to be used as a verb meaning "to bring into the position of, or impede by, a stymie." By the early 20th century, the verb was being applied in similarly vexing non-golf contexts.
Examples of stymie in a Sentence
Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2025
Congress could stymie presidential actions like this.
—Axios, 19 Feb. 2025
The Grove alleges a violation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which demands rigorous impact reviews for public projects and has become a weapon to stymie building efforts that require city approval.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2025
Gosney said Soleri’s opposition to commercialism had stymied the growth of Arcosanti, a community already separate from major metropolitan areas.
—Chase Hunter, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stymie
Cite this Entry
“Stymie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stymie. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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stymie
verb
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