tie one's hands
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Prevent one from acting, as in I can't help you this time; my hands are tied by the club's rules. This metaphoric term transfers physical bondage to other kinds of constraint. It was first recorded in 1642.
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Words nearby tie one's hands
Tienanmen Square, Tien Shan, Tientsin, tie-off rail, tie one on, tie one's hands, tiepin, tie plate, tie plug, Tiepolo, tier
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.