tie someone's hands

verb

To render someone powerless to act, to thwart someone.

“This contract would have tied my hands.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbtie someone's hands (third-person singular simple present ties someone's hands, present participle tying someone's hands, simple past and past participle tied someone's hands)

present singular third person ties someone's hands · participle present tying someone's hands · participle past tied someone's hands · past tied someone's hands

  1. idiomaticoften in passive voiceTo render someone powerless to act, to thwart someone.

    This contract would have tied my hands.

    1 more example

    I'd like to help you, but my hands are tied.

Cite this entry
APA

tie someone's hands. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tie%20someone's%20hands

MLA

“tie someone's hands.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tie%20someone's%20hands. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tie someone's hands,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tie%20someone's%20hands.

Source: tie someone's hands on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.