Did you know?
Golf was being played in Scotland as early as the 15th century, but it wasn't until the 19th century that the sport really caught on in England and North America. It was also in the 19th century that the word stymie entered English as a noun referring to a golfing situation in which one player's ball lies between another ball and the hole on the putting green, thereby blocking the line of play. Later, stymie came to be used as a verb meaning "to bring into the position of, or impede by, a stymie." By the early 20th century, the verb was being applied in similarly vexing non-golf contexts.
Examples of stymie in a Sentence
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2026
That order was challenged in multiple lawsuits, which have so far stymied the administration's efforts.
—Nicholas Kerr, ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
The Americans got back on their toes and started to push the play again, but continued to be stymied.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Record-high connection queues from congested grids threaten to stymie electricity output even when demand and generation capacity exist.
—Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stymie
Cite this Entry
“Stymie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stymie. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stymie
verb
