hamstring
v.v. to make it very difficult for someone to do something or for a plan to work. You use this when someone's power or ability to act is limited by a rule or a problem.
v. to severely restrict the efficiency or effectiveness of an individual, organization, or process. Often used in the passive voice to describe being hindered by external constraints.
The new rules hamstring our ability to finish the project on time.
Small businesses are often hamstrung by complex tax laws that require expensive legal advice to navigate.
The administration found itself hamstrung by a series of legislative compromises that effectively neutralized its most ambitious environmental policies.
From ham (“region back of the knee joint”) + string.
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. While it originates from the anatomical noun, in modern usage it is predominantly used figuratively.
The project was hamstringed by the budget.The project was hamstrung by the budget.The past tense and past participle of the verb 'hamstring' is 'hamstrung', not 'hamstringed'.