to stymie

Examples

• All

• High interest rates in Brazil stymie the country's growth by making it almost prohibitively expensive to do just about anything.

  Academic text (2012)

• If Washington fails to reach a bipartisan solution, trade talks will stall and stymie an important avenue of growth for the U.S.

  Academic text (2007)

• Many of these people are going to stymie progress as much as possible.

  Blog text (13)

• The anti-affirmative action crowd thought they had the winning formula to stymie diversity.

  Academic text (2017)

• And even when the requisite information is at hand, organizational problems can still stymie implementation.

  Academic text (1994)

• If left unchecked, these issues will continue to stymie progress and economic growth in a post-conflict setting, particularly in former authoritarian states.

  Academic text (2005)

• Their solar-panel push, in particular, illustrates how poorly designed subsidies can stymie the development of renewable power.

  Academic text (2012)

• Public-housing complexes, because of their inherent inadaptability, stymie the process of invention and reinvention.

  Academic text (1997)

• For example, accusations of Islamophobia stymie discussion and policy formulation when policymakers seek to address problems occurring among Muslim immigrants.

  Academic text (2009)

• The new regulations could stymie the growth of small businesses struggling to compete.

Synonyms

B

to block

vsto stymie

∞ 3.0

To stop movement, access, or progress

is broader, including nonphysical or indirect forms of stopping

G

to get in the way

vsto stymie

206 3.3

To stop or slow something from happening

is the general verb for stopping or hindering progress broadly

H

to hold back

vsto stymie

187 3.2

Stop someone or something from moving forward

is broader and can include both stopping and making progress hard

O

to obstruct

vsto stymie

119 5.1

To block a path or view

covers both visible barriers and unseen forms of hindrance

C

to check

vsto stymie

104 3.7

Stop something from growing or spreading

focuses more on preventing completion rather than just restraint

T

to thwart

vsto stymie

87 7.4

To stop someone from doing what they want

can be less active, including accidental or indirect hindrance

H

to hinder

vsto stymie

75 3.6

To make it difficult for people or things to do something

leans toward complete prevention rather than just causing difficulty

S

to stifle

vsto stymie

49 5.3

To hold back a feeling or reaction so it does not show

is aimed at preventing goals or achievements rather than internal control

H

to hamper

vsto stymie

47 4.2

To make it harder for someone or something to move forward

more strongly implies preventing the intended outcome entirely

I

to impede

vsto stymie

35 6.5

To slow the progress or movement of people and things

aims more at stopping completion rather than only slowing it

F

to frustrate

vsto stymie

35 3.6

Stop someone from doing something they planned to do

is about hindering progress overall, not only upsetting plans

S

to strangle

vsto stymie

33 6.7

To limit growth or activity so it cannot continue

is a more general term for stopping progress in many ways

R

to retard

vsto stymie

26 8.4

To make something happen more slowly

tends toward preventing final accomplishment rather than mere delay

C

to clog

vsto stymie

21 3.2

To block a pipe or passage so flow stops

can also describe stopping progress in nonflow situations

S

to stymy

vsto stymie

20 8.7

To stop someone from making progress toward a goal

is the standard form but carries the same meaning

H

to hobble

vsto stymie

14 5.7

To limit the progress or success of something

aims at preventing success rather than only reducing capability

C

to clog up

vsto stymie

9 3.7

To block a drain or road so things cannot move through it

also includes nonphysical obstacles and indirect forms of blockage

B

to bog down

vsto stymie

5 5.8

To get stuck and stop making progress

describes general prevention rather than the stuck, tangled state

B

to baffle

vsto stymie

3 6.1

To stop someone's plans or efforts from succeeding

is more directly about blocking progress than causing puzzlement

B

to bottleneck

vsto stymie

2 6.0

To become narrow and slow progress

covers many ways to prevent progress, not only narrowing points

D

to derail a plan

vsto stymie

1 5.2

Cause a plan to fail or stop moving forward

is broader, applying to many blocked goals beyond plans

S

to stand in someone's way

vsto stymie

1 3.4

Stop someone from reaching their goal

focuses on hindering general progress rather than being a personal obstacle

B

to blockade

vsto stymie

1 6.1

To stop someone or something from making progress

is the general act of stopping progress in many ways

O

to obstruct someone's plans

vsto stymie

5.6

To stop someone on purpose from doing what they planned

is not limited to deliberate acts and can be accidental

Antonyms

A

to assist

605 1.0

To help someone by making a task easier

E

to enable

459 2.3

To give someone the ability or chance to do something

How Obstructive

to thwart

87 7.4

to block

∞ 3.0

to stymie

5 8.0

to impede

35 6.5

to hinder

75 3.6

to hamper

47 4.2

to delay

562 1.4

Surface Forms

Etymology