hands are tied

1. see tie one's hands.

Example Sentences

And then there are clubs whose hands are tied by spending rules that were designed to level the playing field.

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Coffee shops are working overtime to assure customers their hands are tied.

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Thousands of families now risk calls from debt collectors — but officials say their hands were tied: unpaid balances were straining the district’s food service fund, which is federally required to be self-sustaining.

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Her hands are tied by D.C.’s unique status under the Home Rule Act, which granted limited self-government to the District.

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District Judge Robin Rosenberg denied the request, saying her “hands are tied.”

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