Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for hamstring. Search instead for hamstring-muscle.
Synonyms

hamstring

American  
[ham-string] / ˈhæmˌstrɪŋ /

noun

  1. (in humans and other primates) any of the tendons that bound the ham of the knee.

  2. (in quadrupeds) the great tendon at the back of the hock.

verb (used with object)

hamstrung, hamstringing

  1. to disable by cutting the hamstring or hamstrings.

    Synonyms:
    lame, hock, disable, cripple

  2. to render powerless or useless; thwart.

    Their efforts were hamstrung by stubborn pride.
hamstring British  
/ ˈhæmˌstrɪŋ /

noun

  1. anatomy any of the tendons at the back of the knee

  2. the large tendon at the back of the hock in the hind leg of a horse, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to cripple by cutting the hamstring of

  2. to ruin or thwart

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
hamstring Scientific  
/ hăm′strĭng′ /

  1. A powerful group of muscles at the back of the thigh that arise in the hip and pelvis and insert as strong tendons behind the knee. The hamstring bends the knee and helps to straighten the hip.

Etymology

Origin of hamstring

First recorded in 1555–65; ham 1 + string

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.

In her interview with Mr. Varadarajan, Ms. Dhillon frames these consent decrees as onerous regulations that hamstring police.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

The team learned earlier this week that Luka Doncic has a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and will be out for the remainder of the regular season — and perhaps beyond.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Austin Reaves didn’t know the extent of Doncic’s hamstring injury, but he knew how the Lakers superstar would approach the latest hurdle in this winding season.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Bradford then lost Phoenix Steinwede with what looked to be a hamstring injury and Jenkins crashed over soon after to send Leeds out of sight.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

For hamstring stretches, one person lies on the grass on his back with his leg straight up, while the other person leans in and slowly presses the leg a little higher.

From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.