Meaning & use
Hamstring
Last updated
Any of the tendons at the back of the knee, or the muscles of the back of the thigh; as a verb, to cripple or severely hinder someone's efforts.
See it in a sentence
The sprinter pulled a hamstring during the final race.
Budget cuts hamstrung the department's ability to hire new staff.
A note on using this word
As a verb, it derives from the practice of disabling animals by cutting their hamstring tendons, now used figuratively for hindering someone.
Words with a similar meaning
cripplehinderimpede
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
enableassist
Another way to use it
2. noun
One of the muscles at the back of the thigh, spanning from hip to knee.
Runners often stretch their hamstrings before a race to prevent injury.
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