1
as in hardship
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 complexity
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 objection
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 controversy
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 difficulty
Those satellites are already at Cape Canaveral for final launch preparations, suggesting that Amazon is finally overcoming difficulties in activating its spacecraft factory in Kirkland, Washington.
—
ArsTechnica, 23 June 2025
Like rock becoming water, toughness and difficulty have shifted into flow, and now things move with ease.
—Sophia Bush, Time, 20 June 2025
This is not to mention the difficulty and high cost of implementing requirements as states seek to comply with new standards.
—Dee Stewart, Boston Herald, 20 June 2025
This feature is particularly useful for customers that have hearing difficulties.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficulty
ArsTechnica, 23 June 2025
Like rock becoming water, toughness and difficulty have shifted into flow, and now things move with ease.
—Sophia Bush, Time, 20 June 2025
This is not to mention the difficulty and high cost of implementing requirements as states seek to comply with new standards.
—Dee Stewart, Boston Herald, 20 June 2025
This feature is particularly useful for customers that have hearing difficulties.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for difficulty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulty
Noun
-
The company’s high-margin, recurring membership revenue has shown remarkable resilience during economic hardships, contributing to the stock’s recent surge.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
-
The first call went to King, who signed a rest-of-season hardship waiver contract.—
Anthony De Leon,
Los Angeles Times,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
Isabel Wilkerson reflects on this year's Juneteenth celebrations and the complexities of the Black experience in America.—
Ben Abrams,
NPR,
19 June 2025
-
The complexity of the current situation requires that our military take a more direct role in securing our southern border than in the recent past.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
That objection gained force with the rise of Japan.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
-
In Los Angeles, Trump took the unusual step of nationalizing units of the California National Guard and also sent in U.S. Marines over the objections of Gavin Newsom, the state's Democratic governor.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
16 June 2025
Noun
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The original, shot by Bryce Anderson, drew a lot of attention and controversy, with many critiquing the image as a provocative and degrading towards women.—
Thania Garcia,
Variety,
25 June 2025
-
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner revealed what has changed in Formula 1 over his 20 years in the sport amid the sport's drama and controversies.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Making Pink Narcissus was itself an act of defiance on the part of Bidgood, who died in 2022 from COVID-19 complications.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2025
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This stabilization proves particularly valuable in neurosurgery, where even the smallest deviation can lead to significant complications, loss of function and even death.—
Jennifer Esposito,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
Aside from the pandemic anomaly, the World Bank data also showed that only three exceptions to annual passenger growth occurred post-1980.—
Dana Dunne,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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Federal contractors and in some cases subcontractors are an exception, as are a handful of states.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 June 2025
Noun
-
News to Know Wisconsin lawsuit accuses Miami of tampering In the latest legal dispute amid the changing landscape of college sports, the University of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit against the University of Miami yesterday for allegedly tampering with a football player.—
and Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
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The simmering dispute comes as protesters showed up at Dodger Stadium on Thursday to decry Dodgers’ silence amidst immigration raids and unrest in Los Angeles.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
21 June 2025
Noun
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Officers responded to a burglary complaint about 7:30 a.m. Sunday, when employees at the city’s Parks and Recreation Department told cops someone was stuck in the chimney of a building in Rockwell Park, Bristol Police Lt. Desmond Wilson said.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
23 June 2025
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The Biden administration warned that would lead to a huge backlog of complaints and strain the government’s resources, should thousands of borrowers now have to present their cases in court, and would harm borrowers by forcing them to default on their loans in order to possibly get relief.—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Difficulty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulty. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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