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.
Until then, he says his hands are tied.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
"I feel like my hands are tied because I can't find her," she laments.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Royce Mendes, head of macro strategy at Desjardins Capital Markets, said Macklem is signaling that his hands are tied in addressing the current state of economic trepidation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 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
‘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.
