as in obstacles
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the many hurdles he had to overcome on the road to success
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Recent Examples of hurdles
Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
Developers face a gauntlet of zoning rules, permitting delays, high construction costs, expensive property taxes and local political hurdles, all of which slow or shrink projects before they ever get built.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Its ability to function on a moving carrier addresses one of the biggest hurdles for naval laser weapons.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, millions of Americans lack ready access to documents like passports or birth certificates, and tens of millions — particularly married women whose names have changed — could face additional hurdles under stricter requirements.
—Katherine “kitty” Donovan, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
In Seligman’s view, several hurdles remain for importers, many of which began submitting their refund requests through the CAPE portal on Monday.
—Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 21 Apr. 2026
Sharp saw one of the biggest early hurdles was getting people to move past the assumption that a cigar-and-jazz crowd would bring problems.
—Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2026
After all, the higher costs that come with an uptick in inflation are just the latest stressor on people's budgets in this landscape, which has also been dotted by high borrowing costs, growing debt issues and other hurdles.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
In most cases, the possession of such drugs is federally criminalized, and that adds significant hurdles for researchers who are trying to study their effects.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
Collins announced on Monday that after two years of legal hurdles and negotiations, the project to take over and transform InfoWars is finally getting off the ground.
—Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
Developers face a gauntlet of zoning rules, permitting delays, high construction costs, expensive property taxes and local political hurdles, all of which slow or shrink projects before they ever get built.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Its ability to function on a moving carrier addresses one of the biggest hurdles for naval laser weapons.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, millions of Americans lack ready access to documents like passports or birth certificates, and tens of millions — particularly married women whose names have changed — could face additional hurdles under stricter requirements.
—Katherine “kitty” Donovan, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
In Seligman’s view, several hurdles remain for importers, many of which began submitting their refund requests through the CAPE portal on Monday.
—Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 21 Apr. 2026
Sharp saw one of the biggest early hurdles was getting people to move past the assumption that a cigar-and-jazz crowd would bring problems.
—Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2026
After all, the higher costs that come with an uptick in inflation are just the latest stressor on people's budgets in this landscape, which has also been dotted by high borrowing costs, growing debt issues and other hurdles.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
In most cases, the possession of such drugs is federally criminalized, and that adds significant hurdles for researchers who are trying to study their effects.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurdles
Noun
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Making a robot run is not a simple task and requires precise balance control, terrain handling (uneven surfaces), endurance, navigation, and anti-interference capabilities (noise, obstacles, etc).—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Football matchups featuring the Pac-12 legacy schools make loads of sense but face several obstacles.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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My particular focus on textbooks and curricular guidelines, though, demonstrates that sometimes, knowledge gaps lead to leaps forward.—
Daniela R. P. Weiner,
The Conversation,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Season 3 leaps forward five years, aging its characters out of high school and into a much murkier version of adulthood.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Address a gopher threat proactively through weed control and laying down barriers.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Virtual psychology removes outdated barriers by merging medical scrutiny with convenience, helping individuals move from uncertainty toward greater clarity.—
Lucy Jones
April 11,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The final moments of the finale jumps eight years.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
-
His 605-pound squat also jumps off the page.—
Jeff Sentell,
AJC.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This proprietary approach overcomes challenges of surface treatment and dispersion associated with the material.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Apr. 2026
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Leo consistently overcomes challenges such as low light, rapid movement, and split second moments to produce sharp, compelling images.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But the Scot hooked his second shot from a wet fairway on the 609-yard closing hole — a par 5 that yielded only 10 birdies in the final round — and even after getting relief from temporary immovable obstructions, MacIntyre could only hit wedge to 30 feet.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
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But there are wild cards, including potential obstructions from Orion’s solar arrays or the body of the spacecraft and uncertainty about how well the vehicle can maintain a consistent orientation.—
Adam Bluestein,
Scientific American,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At home, Marino skips the mayo altogether and mixes his tuna with olive oil, fresh tomatoes, and basil.—
Lizzy Briskin,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Apr. 2026
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Sharpen and clean your tools This is the task almost everyone skips — and almost everyone regrets skipping.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There’s no perfect style of pizza that bests the rest.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
28 Mar. 2026
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Its maximum output easily bests that of the standard Cayenne Electric, which makes 435 hp, but lags far behind that of the turbo, which makes an outlandish 1,139 hp.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hurdles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurdles. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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