hamstrung
Americanadjective
-
having been made powerless or useless; thwarted.
The candidates also face a housing market crisis, subway strikes, and a hamstrung government.
-
having had the hamstring tendon cut.
She fell like a hamstrung deer.
verb
Etymology
Origin of hamstrung
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.
The midseason trades helped the Clippers start replenishing their draft capital after the blockbuster move that brought Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to L.A. in 2019 hamstrung their assets.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2026
Protestants, writes Mr. Ryrie, were hamstrung by “deep cultural, structural and political forces” that made missionary work, even for the most adaptable and sincere, “very difficult.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
The longer time you have to invest your $100,000, the more likely you won’t be hamstrung by a correction.
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
What that means in the short-term is that the Federal Reserve is going to be a bit hamstrung.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
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.
