Stymie

To Stymie means to prevent or hinder the progress of something, to block, thwart, or impede an action, process, or person. It implies introducing an obstacle or difficulty, often unexpectedly, that causes a delay or prevents the desired outcome. The word suggests a frustrating situation where a project or plan faces an unforeseen or challenging obstruction. It's akin to placing an impediment in the path, making it difficult to move forward. The object or person being stymied can be human, a system, a plan, or a process.

Stymie meaning with examples

• The unexpected blizzard threatened to Stymie the rescue mission, as heavy snowfall and treacherous conditions made travel almost impossible. Rescue teams were forced to alter their plans and wait for the weather to subside before attempting the difficult search operation for the lost hikers.
• A lack of funding would Stymie the company's ambitious expansion plans. With limited capital, they couldn't acquire new properties, hire staff, or launch the marketing campaigns required to build their infrastructure, thus putting the grand goals at risk.
• Her persistent questioning and sharp counter-arguments would Stymie her opponent's case. She was so good at finding the loopholes in the argument, it effectively blocked the defense from winning the case by finding holes in the opposing side's logic.
• The technical glitches threatened to Stymie the live broadcast of the presidential debate. Network engineers struggled to correct the audio issues and ensure the audience could hear all candidates and the moderator, while also showing all the visual feeds.