as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
tough going for the burros on the canyon trail, even without the added impediment of heavy loads
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Recent Examples of impediment
The only political impediment is their skepticism.
—
David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Panayos noticed that their opponents’ red jerseys bore no numbers, a potential impediment to his meticulous scorekeeping.
—Dan Greene, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
And historically, one of La Liga’s biggest impediments to keeping pace with the Premier League in particular has been a failure to combat that imbalance more aggressively.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
But with my previous biases preferences on the record, the biggest impediment to enjoying a show that’s made to be nothing more than enjoyable is Rudy himself.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impediment
David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Panayos noticed that their opponents’ red jerseys bore no numbers, a potential impediment to his meticulous scorekeeping.
—Dan Greene, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
And historically, one of La Liga’s biggest impediments to keeping pace with the Premier League in particular has been a failure to combat that imbalance more aggressively.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
But with my previous biases preferences on the record, the biggest impediment to enjoying a show that’s made to be nothing more than enjoyable is Rudy himself.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impediment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impediment
Noun
-
The difficulty in getting rid of players other than those whose contracts expired this summer (Luka Modric, Lucas Vazquez and Jesus Vallejo) was a significant obstacle.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
To overcome this obstacle, the MIT team employed lithium-6 atoms, a rare isotope whose resonance frequency shifts depending on temperature.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Even if the discharge petition is successful, the underlying bill would have to clear many more hurdles.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
8 Sep. 2025
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Reports have also pointed to practical hurdles for Optimus, including production bottlenecks, hand dexterity issues, and leadership turnover on the program.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Wind giant Ørsted sues White House Energy giant Ørsted and two US states sued the White House over its obstruction of a near-complete offshore wind farm, part of the administration’s move away from renewables.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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O'Dell pleaded guilty earlier this year to arson, damage to religious property and obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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If fear of embarrassment is influencing how Gen Z engages at work, leaders should name it and offer alternatives.—
Ruth Oh Reitmeier,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Good intentions and moral high ground gave way to national embarrassment.—
Dan Fisher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The tractor-trailer, carrying beverages, rode along the median barrier, splitting open from the side and spilling bottles across the roadway, the fire department posted on Facebook.—
Nour Rahal,
Freep.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Some cities install physical barriers like planters, bike racks, or other obstacles, to ensure compliance.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impediment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impediment. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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