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
Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2026
There are a host of legal hurdles Trump will have to overcome to keep this one alive.
—Jack Greiner, Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 Feb. 2026
One of the biggest hurdles for people is finding the necessary information to complete a tax return for someone after death, said Colleen Carcone, Director of Wealth Planning Strategies at TIAA.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
Often, those who work the hardest are also those facing the biggest hurdles to reach the finish line — but help from scholarships can make all the difference.
—Sherry Paramore, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026
Others want to work in health care, but encounter financial or educational hurdles that make a shorter certification program for a direct care role more attainable than a nursing degree.
—Allie Canal, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
In 2026, residents of Mathews, Mint Hill and Pineville face several specific barriers to health care access ranging from escalating costs to significant geographic and logistical hurdles.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
Carbon capture faces hurdles Extracting and using the CO2 significantly cuts ethanol's carbon footprint, based on a company model that identifies how much carbon is created — and offset — through its production process.
—Donnelle Eller, Des Moines Register, 13 Feb. 2026
Serious technical, economic and processing hurdles still stand between these materials and large-scale adoption.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
But there is optimism in the community that both these hurdles can be cleared.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2026
There are a host of legal hurdles Trump will have to overcome to keep this one alive.
—Jack Greiner, Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 Feb. 2026
One of the biggest hurdles for people is finding the necessary information to complete a tax return for someone after death, said Colleen Carcone, Director of Wealth Planning Strategies at TIAA.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
Often, those who work the hardest are also those facing the biggest hurdles to reach the finish line — but help from scholarships can make all the difference.
—Sherry Paramore, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026
Others want to work in health care, but encounter financial or educational hurdles that make a shorter certification program for a direct care role more attainable than a nursing degree.
—Allie Canal, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
In 2026, residents of Mathews, Mint Hill and Pineville face several specific barriers to health care access ranging from escalating costs to significant geographic and logistical hurdles.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
Carbon capture faces hurdles Extracting and using the CO2 significantly cuts ethanol's carbon footprint, based on a company model that identifies how much carbon is created — and offset — through its production process.
—Donnelle Eller, Des Moines Register, 13 Feb. 2026
Serious technical, economic and processing hurdles still stand between these materials and large-scale adoption.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurdles
Noun
-
The researchers created the virtual animals and released them into a synthetic world, giving them tasks on how to navigate, avoid obstacles and find food.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The secluded area in Arizona where Guthrie lives and appears to have been kidnapped in the early morning hours of February 1 continues to present obstacles, as does the intense media scrutiny.—
Elizabeth Hartfield,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But then, the moment Buckley walks on, the entire audience leaps to its feet, roaring and clapping for her.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2026
-
In a cult classic 1976 film, The Bill Koch Experience, the star slaloms at perilous speed through low brush, dodges cows in a pasture, and also leaps off a boulder, only to tumble.—
Bill Donahue,
Outside,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Reducing meetings to once a month and limiting public comment create barriers.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Last year’s blitz of bills, capping off years of gradual legislative efforts to remove regulatory barriers to building dense housing across California, has, in Wicks’ view, teed up this next big swing.—
Ben Christopher,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Finish with a few light jumps, head into the shower, exfoliate, and finish with body oil.—
Gretta Monahan,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Jamie Squire—Getty Images Instead, the surprise Olympic men’s champion is Mikhail Shaidorov from Kazakhstan, who landed five quad jumps to earn the gold—his country’s first in the event.—
Alice Park,
Time,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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LithSonic overcomes this challenge by using supersonic flow, similar to the conditions inside a rocket engine, to achieve ultra-rapid cooling through a process known as shock quenching.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
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After a sluggish start, Texas overcomes a 14-point deficit to tie the game before OU's Xzayvier Brown hits a 3-pointer to give his team the halftime lead.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Crews advanced hose lines to the second floor and had difficulty gaining access because of obstructions behind the bedroom door, according to the release.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Check slopes for bare spots, holes and obstructions, like rocks, fences or poles.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One reader skips the green pepper entirely and adds extra green onions instead, while another suggests seasoning the sauce to taste and finishing it with a layer of mozzarella during the last few minutes of baking.—
Maggie Meyer Glisan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Feb. 2026
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This eerie sensation is further enhanced by elliptical editing that seamlessly skips back and forth in time across the span of just a few days, creating a sense of fluidity across what should feel discontinuous.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The towers are also able to reach a capacity factor of about 32%, which bests that of flat panels, which come in around 22%.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Oct. 2025
-
And China now bests the United States in 57 out of 64 critical and emerging technologies, per a 2024 study.—
Mircea Geoană,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hurdles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurdles. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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