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Golf was being played in Scotland as early as the 15th century, but it wasn't until the 19th century that the sport really caught on in England and North America. It was also in the 19th century that the word stymie entered English as a noun referring to a golfing situation in which one player's ball lies between another ball and the hole on the putting green, thereby blocking the line of play. Later, stymie came to be used as a verb meaning "to bring into the position of, or impede by, a stymie." By the early 20th century, the verb was being applied in similarly vexing non-golf contexts.
Synonyms
Examples of stymie in a Sentence
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 2 Jan. 2025
But negotiations, even with those in his own Democratic party, stymied, and the attempts were largely unsuccessful.
—Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 29 Dec. 2024
Putting up a $50 million bond plus other guarantees, Combs saw two previous bail efforts stymied in September.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 8 Dec. 2024
In Marshon Lattimore’s debut, Washington’s defense stymied the New Orleans attack in all ways possible, helping to create an overall dominant time-of-possession advantage.
—Ben Standig, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Stymie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stymie. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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stymie
verb
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