as in hurdle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
stumbling on all the obstacles along the path
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Recent Examples of obstacle
The unique roughness of the PR cobbles is his biggest obstacle.
—
Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Those same obstacles and challenges helped to inform his next moves in opening Black Sails.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2026
This system monitors approaching obstacles and analyzes road conditions for you.
—New Atlas, 10 Apr. 2026
But the vaccine must overcome the same obstacles that caused an earlier Lyme vaccine to be pulled from the market in 2002.
—Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obstacle
Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Those same obstacles and challenges helped to inform his next moves in opening Black Sails.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2026
This system monitors approaching obstacles and analyzes road conditions for you.
—New Atlas, 10 Apr. 2026
But the vaccine must overcome the same obstacles that caused an earlier Lyme vaccine to be pulled from the market in 2002.
—Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obstacle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obstacle
Noun
-
The ceasefire brokered by Pakistan still faces hurdles in the talks beginning Saturday, as Israel and Hezbollah militants have been trading fire along the border of southern Lebanon and Iran has set conditions before negotiations can begin.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Then, for Artemis IV, there are even greater hurdles.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
According to Harvard Health, rarer but more serious side effects can include inflammation of the pancreas, called pancreatitis; gastroparesis, or the slowing or stopping of movement of food through the stomach; bowel obstruction or blockage; and gallstone attacks or bile duct blockages.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
-
In March 2024, authorities arrested 32-year-old Lashawn Washington and charged her with first-degree felony murder, kidnapping and obstruction of justice.—
Veronica Fulton,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The nonprofit Bike New York offers free instruction and groups everyone by age to avoid embarrassment.—
The Editors,
Curbed,
16 Apr. 2026
-
When appealing to a congressional answering machine fails, perhaps public embarrassment is the most effective lever to pull.—
Paula Mejía,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
By eliminating practical barriers that frequently exist between suspicion and diagnosis, the online model satisfies that need.—
Malana VanTyler,
Sacbee.com,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Those barriers to access are part of what inspired Henderson to launch Pilates in the Park, a free outdoor session in Grant Park that’s open to anyone.—
Olivia Wakim,
AJC.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obstacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obstacle. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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