# have one's hands tied

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/have-ones-hands-tied
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To be powerless to act, to be thwarted.

## Examples

- I want to help you, but my hands are tied.
- The manager apologized for the delay, explaining that his hands were tied by the company's strict new budget rules.
- Although the judge sympathized with the defendant's difficult circumstances, she noted that her hands were tied by the mandatory sentencing laws.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.