as in hurdles
something that makes movement or progress difficult
stumbling on all the obstacles along the path
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obstacles
Desert plants replace mountain vegetation and offer new obstacles.
—
Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 10 Nov. 2025
When entering new environments, guide them carefully to highlight potential obstacles.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
One of the biggest obstacles to progress is the lack of a federal policy to protect children’s privacy and to give them a voice in how they’re represented.
—Dana Perino, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
In a special report, The Enquirer explores older adults' struggles to secure affordable housing and the systemic obstacles that are in their way.
—Sydney Franklin, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Nov. 2025
There are all these physical barriers, obstacles and challenges, and the world is not always an easy place to navigate.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025
Other humanitarian groups have reported similar financial obstacles.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Those dismissals come as the administration has ramped up mass deportations of those without legal status, and sometimes pointed to judges as obstacles in that effort.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
Classrooms, playgrounds — even hallways — were obstacles.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 10 Nov. 2025
When entering new environments, guide them carefully to highlight potential obstacles.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
One of the biggest obstacles to progress is the lack of a federal policy to protect children’s privacy and to give them a voice in how they’re represented.
—Dana Perino, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
In a special report, The Enquirer explores older adults' struggles to secure affordable housing and the systemic obstacles that are in their way.
—Sydney Franklin, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Nov. 2025
There are all these physical barriers, obstacles and challenges, and the world is not always an easy place to navigate.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025
Other humanitarian groups have reported similar financial obstacles.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Those dismissals come as the administration has ramped up mass deportations of those without legal status, and sometimes pointed to judges as obstacles in that effort.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
Classrooms, playgrounds — even hallways — were obstacles.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obstacles
Noun
-
One of the largest hurdles was ensuring that behavior learned on Earth would translate to space, an issue often called the Sim2Real gap.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Yet many Venezuelans are facing significant hurdles when seeking asylum in the United States and elsewhere.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Place your pile at least 6 feet away from cars, boats, basketball hoops and other obstructions and make sure there’s space between the curb and pile to allow water to flow to storm drains.—
Sarah Linn
November 5,
Sacbee.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The obstructions appear to be concentrated in areas where the White House proposed cutting the federal budget next year.—
Amy Maxmen,
ABC News,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
By targeting breeding grounds and establishing protective barriers, Hawx helps families reclaim their outdoor spaces.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
American Indian and Alaska Native elders face significant systemic barriers to accessing health and social support and have a lower life expectancy than all other populations in the United States.—
Holly J. McDede,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
For many, the glamour of it all seemed to be gone, replaced with a glossy series of embarrassments.—
Lyz Lenz,
Rolling Stone,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obstacles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obstacles. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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