tie someone's hands

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tie 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)

1. (idiomatic, often in passive voice) To render someone powerless to act, to thwart someone.

   This contract would have tied my hands.

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

• have one's hands tied
• have one's hands full