1
as in disadvantage
a feature of someone or something that creates difficulty for achieving success
her natural shyness was not a handicap when she played chess
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
her uncomfortable shoes became a handicap on the walking tour of the city, as she often had to sit and rest her sore feet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to hamper
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the baseball player's small size did not handicap him in the least
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of handicap
Washington Post, 23 June 2017
One man, who has a handicap, had to escape through a window, according to media reports.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, kansascity.com, 21 June 2017
Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
The European Commission estimates that around 182,000 innovative small and medium-sized companies could benefit from this proposal, essentially eliminating the regulatory fragmentation that has historically handicapped European scaling efforts.
—Charles Towers-Clark, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for handicap
Noun
When Britain leaves the EU, British financial services companies would lose the automatic right to operate in all the other 27 EU states, a big handicap.
—Washington Post, 23 June 2017
One man, who has a handicap, had to escape through a window, according to media reports.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, kansascity.com, 21 June 2017
Verb
But so do the losses, if Congress decides to handicap wind and solar renewables.
—Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
The European Commission estimates that around 182,000 innovative small and medium-sized companies could benefit from this proposal, essentially eliminating the regulatory fragmentation that has historically handicapped European scaling efforts.
—Charles Towers-Clark, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for handicap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handicap
Noun
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However, the sun shone brightly soon after, leaving teams like Red Bull, which had opted for a wet-weather setup on its car, at a disadvantage.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Aug. 2025
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For example, a small furniture maker in Tennessee can potentially compete with European manufacturers in their local markets without the tariff disadvantage.—
John Hall,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Noun
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This pattern of persecution, especially when combined with ongoing habitat loss, has likely contributed to low recruitment and remains a major obstacle to population recovery.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
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Extreme heat can also be an obstacle to exercising, spending time in nature, and socializing, all of which can make people feel good and also double as important coping mechanisms for emotional distress.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
26 July 2025
Verb
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Keep clear of puddles - Driving through puddles or low rainwater areas can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
28 July 2025
-
Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
28 July 2025
Noun
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Scaling its use requires overcoming hurdles related to the transportation of bulky materials, establishing local milling facilities and securing access to renewable energy.—
Sahit Muja,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
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One reason for the unexpectedly slow pace is that the Chinese companies have not cleared a key engineering hurdle.—
Selam Gebrekidan,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Hayes and the unnamed person were also charged with hindering prosecution in the first degree, according to court documents.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
30 July 2025
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Leading Through Change And Crisis There's no doubt leadership fatigue toward managing culture can erode an organization’s sense of identity, hinder growth and breed disengagement.—
Dave Barnett,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Noun
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Others have built barriers to protect vulnerable neighborhoods.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
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This interpretation aligns with the ADA’s broader purpose, which is to eliminate barriers that prevent full and equal participation in everyday life.—
Dekel Skoop,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Age Debt strains an organization’s resources, stifles innovation, and impedes growth.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
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Seemingly random bureaucratic obstacles impeded Gee’s formal conversion, leading her to feel unwanted by the church and, by extension, God.—
Terry Nguyen
July 23,
Literary Hub,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
Julie was additionally convicted of obstruction of justice and wire fraud.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
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Examples of Clean Team’s work Coronado cited an example of the Clean Team’s work is removing overhanging tree limbs in the right-of-way to maintain visibility and function for pedestrians and drivers, along with making sure sidewalks are free of obstructions.—
Rick Mauch,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Handicap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handicap. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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