have one's hands tied

Verb

To be powerless to act, to be thwarted.

Japanese Meaning

行動が制限され、自由に動けない状態 / 自分の意思で動けず、手が縛られているように無力である状態

To have one's hands tied by bureaucracy is a common complaint among small business owners.

官僚主義によって身動きが取れなくなることは中小企業の経営者によくある不満だ。

Sense（1）

To be powerless to act, to be thwarted.

I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do. My hands are tied.

has one's hands tied

（ present singular third-person ）

having one's hands tied

（ participle present ）

had one's hands tied

（ participle past ）

had one's hands tied

（ past ）