Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1800-1900
Origin: Perhaps from Scottish English, 'person who cannot see well'

stymie

 verb
     
sty‧mie [transitive]
informal to prevent someone from doing what they have planned or want to do [= thwart]:
Investigators have been stymied by uncooperative witnesses.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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