as in to paralyze
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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Recent Examples of hamstring
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
Connecticut has among the highest electric rates in the nation, with some officials and legislators arguing that is hamstringing economic development efforts.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2026
But in the business community, people worry about the proposals hamstringing Colorado’s competitiveness with other states, Colorado Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Loren Furman said Tuesday.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hamstring
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
Connecticut has among the highest electric rates in the nation, with some officials and legislators arguing that is hamstringing economic development efforts.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2026
But in the business community, people worry about the proposals hamstringing Colorado’s competitiveness with other states, Colorado Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Loren Furman said Tuesday.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hamstring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstring
Verb
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Dawood said she's gone through paralyzing panic attacks and intense therapy.—
Sara Moniuszko,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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According to some experts, this paralyzing fear and desperation are factors that scammers exploit to put their criminal schemes into action.—
Albinson Linares,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Louisiana sued to restrict access to mifepristone, asserting that its availability undermined the ban there.—
Mark Sherman,
Twin Cities,
4 May 2026
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The Productivity Paradox The cruel irony of America’s sleep deficit is that overwork undermines the output it’s meant to produce.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The deeper the rifts between the United States and Europe over Iran, the greater the chances of weakening the NATO alliance.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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During his appearances on Capitol Hill this month, Secretary Kennendy was grilled about the administration's defense of the pesticide industry and weakening of protections against mercury pollution, another issue that Kennedy had worked on as an advocate.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One shot him with a 40-millimeter round, which is designed to incapacitate people without killing them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
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Norman Hunter, 48, of Dolton, also was struck by a car while incapacitated, the medical examiner’s office said.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hamstring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstring. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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