ham·string
ˈham-ˌstriŋ 
1
a
: either of two groups of tendons at the back of the human knee
b
: any of three muscles at the back of the thigh that function to flex and rotate the leg and extend the thigh
2
: a large tendon above and behind the hock of a quadruped
hamstrung
ˈham-ˌstrəŋ
; hamstringing
ˈham-ˌstriŋ-iŋ
; hamstrings
; hamstringing
ˈham-ˌstriŋ-iŋ
; hamstrings
1
: to make ineffective or powerless : disable
hamstrung by guilt
2
: to deprive of the use of a leg by cutting the leg tendons
Examples of hamstring in a Sentence
Verb
The mayor tried to hamstring our efforts by cutting the budget.
The company claims it is being hamstrung by government regulations.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
Denver Nuggets star Aaron Gordon could miss Sunday’s Game 7 with the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
—Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
But now it’s been hamstrung by more than 1 billion Canadian dollars in debt, a weak consumer economy and an inability to pay bills.
—David Moin, WWD, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hamstring
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
Although Stephen Curry suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out for the rest of the game, Minnesota dropped the first game of that series.
—Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
Denver Nuggets star Aaron Gordon could miss Sunday’s Game 7 with the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
—Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
Verb
The administration has insisted that the country has been hamstrung by tariffs imposed by other countries.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
But now it’s been hamstrung by more than 1 billion Canadian dollars in debt, a weak consumer economy and an inability to pay bills.
—David Moin, WWD, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hamstring
Cite this Entry
“Hamstring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hamstring. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hamstring
1 of 2 noun
ham·string
ˈham-ˌstriŋ
1
: either of two groups of tendons at the back of the human knee
2
: any of three muscles at the back of the thigh that function to extend the thigh, rotate the leg, and bend the knee
hamstring
2 of 2 verb
hamstrung
-ˌstrəŋ
; hamstringing
-ˌstriŋ-iŋ
1
: to cripple by cutting the leg tendons
2
: to make ineffective or powerless : cripple
hamstrung by restrictions
Medical Definition
hamstring
1 of 2 noun
ham·string
ˈham-ˌstriŋ
1
a
: either of two groups of tendons bounding the upper part of the popliteal space at the back of the knee and forming the tendons of insertion of some muscles of the back of the thigh
b
2
: a large tendon above and behind the hock of a quadruped corresponding to the human Achilles tendon
hamstring
2 of 2 transitive verb
hamstrung
-ˌstrəŋ
; hamstringing
-ˌstriŋ-iŋ
; hamstringing
-ˌstriŋ-iŋ
: to cripple by cutting the leg tendons
folklore has it that wolf packs try to hamstring their prey—John Madson
John MadsonLove words? Need even more definitions?
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