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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
Averi Harper, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, another administration directive has significantly stymied federal funding to the tax-exempt sector.
—Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Mar. 2025
Roiling trade tensions stand to raise inflation and stymie global economic growth in 2025, according to research from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released Monday.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 17 Mar. 2025
The opening quarter went to the Clippers as their ferocious paint defense and rebounding stymied many of Old Rochester’s drives.
—Erik Anderson, Boston Herald, 15 Mar. 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 8 Apr. 2025.
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stymie
verb
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