hands are tied
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I feel like my hands are tied because I can't find her," she laments.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
"It is an extra burden to bear, but our hands are tied by the ongoing matter," he said.
From BBC ● May 11, 2026
Her hands are tied by D.C.’s unique status under the Home Rule Act, which granted limited self-government to the District.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2025
And then there are clubs whose hands are tied by spending rules that were designed to level the playing field.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2025
‘Look, it’s three to one and your hands are tied.’
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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.
