hamstrung
Americanadjective
-
having been made powerless or useless; thwarted.
The candidates also face a housing market crisis, subway strikes, and a hamstrung government.
-
having had the hamstring tendon cut.
She fell like a hamstrung deer.
verb
Etymology
Origin of hamstrung
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.
Hamstrung by her mental block that caused her body to freeze before most backwards skills, Moors was held out of her training group because she couldn’t complete the requisite skills.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2025
Hamstrung by a transfer embargo, the ex-England midfielder still guided Chelsea to a top-four finish, an FA Cup final, helped youngsters like Reece James flourish and arguably set the platform for Tuchel's success.
From BBC • Sep. 11, 2024
Hamstrung by agreements with McDonald's, Vkusno & tochka, can not open restaurants in countries where McDonald's already has a presence.
From Reuters • Jun. 6, 2023
Hamstrung by lockdown, Sax, a journalist and public speaker, had to resort to reporting by Zoom, which he himself argues is a fast-food version of IRL.
From New York Times • Nov. 20, 2022
Hamstrung by a primitive electrical grid, Kandahar suffered from a scarcity of power.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 9, 2019
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.
