cut the ground from under someone's feet
scotch
foil
cook someone's goose
dishearten
kick into touch
obviation
preclusion
forestalling
cross someone's path
string along
detain
take the wind out of someone's sails
take away
suppressionism
disincentivize
suppressory
get in someone's hair
fight shy of
disimagine
close the book on
bind hand and foot
counterstrategy
defeat
swipe left
self-sabotage
catch someone napping
interdict
withdraw
borrow
will o' the wisp
flaky
foiling
bottle it
block
put out to pasture
self-handicap
send to Coventry
frustration
thwarting
disencourage
deny oneself
queer
spoil
frustrate
cross
baffle
thwart
bate
bilk
suppressive
stand in the way
miss the boat
whore
manipulative
leave someone hanging
let the perfect be the enemy of the good
diversion
chicken
chopping block
hoodwink
pull the wool over someone's eyes
frustrative
play false
overdiscourage
frustrating
bamboozle
lead by the nose
discomfit
puss out
snow
cut bait
block out
deterrable
fools rush in where angels fear to tread
duck
lest
rejectionist
escapist
risk-taking
chicken out
sell out
cockblock
kiasi
keep away from
kick into the long grass
encumber
dash someone's hopes
deter
bury
keep one's cards close to one's chest
take steps
dodge
hold out
blanch