1
as in hardships
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal
the many difficulties that he encountered on the road from poor orphan to head of a major corporation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complications
something that makes a situation more complicated or difficult
there was a minor difficulty when we realized that the store had already closed
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in objections
a feeling or declaration of disapproval or dissent
the only difficulty I have with the dress is its color—does it come in anything besides purple?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in controversies
variance of opinion on a matter
the theologian's ongoing difficulties with the Vatican
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of difficulties
Genius Group shuts down due to financial difficulties.
—
Maria Cristina Pavarini, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
Research has linked untreated hearing loss to social withdrawal, workplace difficulties, and cognitive health concerns later in life.
—Matthew Kayser, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2026
Shaath said in the video that the deportation move followed earlier difficulties renewing his French residency papers, despite his family ties in France.
—Thomas Adamson, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Those customers have complained online about being unable to use AcuRite Now to rename multiple temperature sensors, difficulties uploading data to weather sites, and the app only reporting temperatures in whole numbers.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
But there were major personal difficulties.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 May 2026
In addition to impacts of untreated depression on the mother, developing children are also at greater risk for prematurity and low birth weight, and higher rates of impulsivity, socialization issues, and cognitive, behavioral and emotional difficulties.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
Allowing children to repeat the same mistakes time and again and learn nothing from the experience other than to expect someone will always be there to bail them out of their difficulties is not a recipe for a happy life.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
Diaz has created a GoFundMe page to raise money for their dream wedding in light of the recent difficulties.
—Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Maria Cristina Pavarini, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
Research has linked untreated hearing loss to social withdrawal, workplace difficulties, and cognitive health concerns later in life.
—Matthew Kayser, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2026
Shaath said in the video that the deportation move followed earlier difficulties renewing his French residency papers, despite his family ties in France.
—Thomas Adamson, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Those customers have complained online about being unable to use AcuRite Now to rename multiple temperature sensors, difficulties uploading data to weather sites, and the app only reporting temperatures in whole numbers.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
But there were major personal difficulties.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 May 2026
In addition to impacts of untreated depression on the mother, developing children are also at greater risk for prematurity and low birth weight, and higher rates of impulsivity, socialization issues, and cognitive, behavioral and emotional difficulties.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
Allowing children to repeat the same mistakes time and again and learn nothing from the experience other than to expect someone will always be there to bail them out of their difficulties is not a recipe for a happy life.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
Diaz has created a GoFundMe page to raise money for their dream wedding in light of the recent difficulties.
—Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulties
Noun
-
The project comes on the heels of filmmaker Nina Lee and Will Packer discussing the rarity of You, Me & Tuscany alongside the hardships and hurdles that Black romance films must overcome in the industry from conception to funding to box office.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
-
Kids raised by single mothers are, on average, at higher risk of poverty, incarceration, unemployment, and a range of other hardships.—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
The woman suffered from additional complications and polyhydramnios, extra amniotic fluid, and after multiple hospital visits, Louise was told that Pandora's heart had stopped beating.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
-
The ruling now adds new complications to a parallel legal fight before Xinis, where the administration is seeking to dissolve her injunction blocking Abrego Garcia’s swift deportation if he is released from custody.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
This change is well underway, and the very reasonable objections to this path will not dissuade the company.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
20 May 2026
-
The Reverend Edmond Massey, preaching in the midst of London’s outbreak, captured the essence of such objections.—
Tom Levenson,
Time,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
The conviction joins a running list of jail controversies for the Sheriff’s Office, mostly occurring under the previous administration under Laurie Smith and costing the county more than $20 million in legal settlements.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
-
One of his ex-wives addressed his racist language In the midst of Fuhrman's controversies in the Simpson murder trial, his second wife, Janet (then Hackett), spoke to several news outlets to share her opinions on her ex-husband.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Capturing all the complexities requires an equally complex quantum machine.—
Zeeya Merali,
Scientific American,
19 May 2026
-
The outbreak was also undetected for weeks, adding to the complexities in containing it.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Two exceptions to that rule are Chase Ultimate Rewards® and Wells Fargo Rewards, which both allow point transfers (with the right credit card) and 1-cent-per-point cash redemptions via statement credits or deposits into eligible bank accounts.—
Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
25 May 2026
-
Remer drills his students on roots, language patterns and the exceptions to those patterns.—
Ben Nuckols,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Dela Rosa’s legal predicament came as political disputes escalated between the Duterte family and Marcos.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
The rival superpowers entered the summit divided over thorny issues including Taiwan, trade disputes and the Iran war.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
But Chelsea also want to add more maturity and leadership to their squad and, in that sense, Fernandez’s disciplinary record and his decision to air some of his complaints in public could count against him.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Patients can file complaints about medical providers in Philadelphia on the city's website.—
Joe Brandt,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Difficulties.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulties. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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