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Synonyms

hamstrung

American  
[ham-struhng] / ˈhæmˌstrʌŋ /

adjective

  1. having been made powerless or useless; thwarted.

    The candidates also face a housing market crisis, subway strikes, and a hamstrung government.

  2. having had the hamstring tendon cut.

    She fell like a hamstrung deer.

verb

  1. the simple past tense and past participle of hamstring.

Etymology

Origin of hamstrung

ham 1 ( def. ) + strung ( def. )

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.

"Clubs wanted to ensure they were in a compliant position rather than having an additional headache of being hamstrung under the new rules."

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

Those kinds of worries hamstrung President Joe Biden.

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

Yet its efforts have been hamstrung by tariffs and other issues.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

A lot of people are sick of feeling hamstrung.

From Salon • Dec. 12, 2025

The aftermath was horrific, with media reports showing hospitals without backup power, distraught families herded into the Superdome, emergency workers hamstrung by a lack of supplies.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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.