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

Officials have not yet released the identities of any victims, and extreme weather in the area has continued to stymie efforts to search for the missing body, or even to retrieve those already confirmed dead.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

And they understand behavioral finance and the psychological biases that can cloud your judgment and stymie your saving, spending and investing habits.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 26, 2026

If I have you by me I'll laugh at all the baffling strokes of Fate And lay the bogie of Despair a stymie.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 159, December 8, 1920 by Seaman, Owen, Sir

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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