Definitions

stymie

[stahy-mee] / ˈstaɪ mi /

VERB

frustrate, hinder

Synonyms

STRONGEST

choke off crimp foil impede obstruct stall stonewall thwart

STRONG

balk block confound corner crab cramp defeat mystify nonplus pigeonhole prevent puzzle shelve snooker stump

WEAK

cramp one's style cut off dead-end give the runaround hang fire hang-up hold off hold up put on back burner put on hold throw a monkey wrench into

Antonyms

STRONGEST

abet advance aid assist forward help support

STRONG

allow clarify clear up enlighten explain explicate let go release

WEAK

encourage

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Another issue with the potential to stymie talks from the beginning is the crucial oil shipping passage the Strait of Hormuz.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

It was supposed to improve information-sharing, not stymie it.

From Salon • Mar. 5, 2026

At times Mr. Bailey’s writing might stymie a reader’s intention to reach the end of the book.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 1, 2026

Critics of the effort to list lion populations have said that it will stymie residential and commercial projects.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

Fortune indeed had smiled upon me, I lay a dead and perfect stymie!

From A Golfing Idyll or The Skipper's Round with the Deil On the Links of St. Andrews by Flint, Violet

Vocabulary lists containing stymie

Hatchet

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This Week in Words: February 16 - 22, 2019

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An Excerpt from "The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead

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