stymie
verb (used with object)
to hinder, block, or thwart.
had stymied
-
past perfectof stymie.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Warm water holds much less oxygen than cold water, he said, and calm seas and cloudy skies in the area had stymied the ways oxygen is usually infused into ocean water.
From New York Times ● Jun. 11, 2023
She began as a “Today Girl” and eventually worked her way into a reporter’s job before the feminist movement eased the obstacles that had stymied so many women’s careers before the early 1960s.
From Slate ● Dec. 31, 2022
The agency said that a focus on COVID-19 immunisation campaigns in 2021, as well as the economic slowdown and strain on healthcare systems, had stymied a quicker recovery for routine vaccinations.
From Reuters ● Jul. 15, 2022
In one important shift, Khalilzad was permitted to jettison an Obama administration-era requirement that the Afghan government take part in talks from the beginning, a position that had stymied progress for years.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 8, 2020
Now, however, each quarter of Chicago was insisting on a location within its own boundaries, and the squabbling had stymied the board.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
