dead hand of the past

NOUN
21 LETTERS · STARTS WITH D

dead hand of the past is a valid 21-letter word worth 31 points in Scrabble and 31 points in Words with Friends.

SCRABBLE WORDS WITH FRIENDS
D2E1A1D2H4A1N1D2O1F4T1H4E1P3A1S1T1
2 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 0 + 4 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 0 + 1 + 4 + 0 + 1 + 4 + 1 + 0 + 3 + 1 + 1 + 1 =31 PTS
DOUBLE WORD → 62TRIPLE WORD → 93
MEANING

What does dead hand of the past mean?

NOUN · 1 SENSE
1

The oppressive influence of past events or decisions.

BROADER