HAMSTRINGS Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

hamstrings

verb

present tense third-person singular of hamstring

as in paralyzes

to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move the downtown development committee claims that it's hamstrung by city ordinances protecting historic buildings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hamstrings

Verb

Kosowski, prosecutors theorized, killed Cozzi with succinylcholine, a fast-acting drug that paralyzes muscles, and threw his body in a Collier County dumpster during a drive to Miami.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
The wasp gets its name from its reproductive cycle, where a female paralyzes a tarantula to serve as a live host for her larva.

— Sean Donnelly, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of paralyzes

Verb

According to official figures, even when the thermometer plummets to minus 22 °F (-30 °C), a situation that cripples most electric vehicles, the Atto 8 can still execute a 20 % to 97% charge in just 12 minutes.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
Federal illegality further cripples operations with banking and tax burdens.

— Peter Su, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026

Definition of cripples

Verb

There’s a sense that doubt would be a form of disloyalty to what came before you, or that admitting a weakness undermines the confidence of the people around you.

— Flavio Maluf, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Thiel is making a category error that undermines his entire argument.

— David Gibson, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of undermines

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

hamstringing

hamstrings

hamstrung

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Hamstrings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hamstrings. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of hamstrings

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes