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Hurdle vs. Hurtle
Indistinguishable in speech, the words hurtle and hurdle can be a confusing pair.
Hurtle is a verb with two meanings: "to move rapidly or forcefully," as in "The stone was hurtling through the air," and "to hurl or fling," as in "I hurtled the stone into the air." Note that the first use is intransitive: the stone isn't hurtling anything; it itself is simply hurtling. The second use is transitive: something was hurtled—in this case, a stone.
Hurdle is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, its most common meanings have to do with barriers: the ones that runners leap over, and the metaphorical extension of these, the figurative barriers and obstacles we try to similarly overcome. The verb hurdle has two meanings, and they are directly related to these. It can mean "to leap over especially while running," as in "She hurdled the fence," and it can mean "to overcome or surmount," as in "They've had to hurdle significant financial obstacles." The verb hurdle is always transitive; that is, there's always a thing being hurdled, whether it be a physical obstacle or a metaphorical one.
Examples of hurtle in a Sentence
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
In recent years, astronomers analyzing data from the European Space Agency's Gaia spacecraft identified a handful of white dwarfs hurtling through the Milky Way at breakneck speeds of up to 1,240 miles per second (2,000 kilometers per second).
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Receiving a cut of every Cadillac sold in California, Tommy lived a playboy life, speeding cars, dating starlets, and competing in drag races along the dry desert lake beds of the Mojave Desert, hurtling across the sand in goggles at over 100 miles per hour.
—Stayton Bonner, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2025
One wrong step sent Luhn hurtling down the side of the mountain.
—Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hurtle
Cite this Entry
“Hurtle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hurtle. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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