as in hurdles
something that makes movement or progress difficult
stumbling on all the obstacles along the path
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Recent Examples of obstacles
The winner in November will lead the country's most populous state, facing a large deficit and other obstacles, including the state's high cost of living, homelessness and wildfire risk.
—
Marisa Lagos, NPR, 6 June 2026
Despite the ongoing ups and downs of the housing market, including economic cycles and affordability obstacles including post-pandemic high interest rates, low inventory, and soaring prices, women – particularly Millennials – have continued to show resiliency.
—Kathy Collins, Fortune, 6 June 2026
In saltwater, the system detected signals at 730 m (2,395 ft) on under 10 watts – and performance held steady regardless of turbidity, obstacles, or multipath interference.
—Omar Kardoudi
june 06, New Atlas, 6 June 2026
Deterring Smuggling Activity Through Patrols These challenges include strong currents and obstacles below and above water like logs, roots and dense mud banks.
—Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026
Taken together, Cramer said the session highlighted a market that remains willing to look past potential obstacles and continue buying stocks.
—Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 4 June 2026
Developing new housing in the United States is devilishly complicated, lined with obstacles like zoning laws and public review processes that can vary by zip code.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
These obstacles are inevitable.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 3 June 2026
In a season defined by loyalty, betrayal, and survival, everyone faces personal obstacles — but not everyone will make it through.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 2 June 2026
Marisa Lagos, NPR, 6 June 2026
Despite the ongoing ups and downs of the housing market, including economic cycles and affordability obstacles including post-pandemic high interest rates, low inventory, and soaring prices, women – particularly Millennials – have continued to show resiliency.
—Kathy Collins, Fortune, 6 June 2026
In saltwater, the system detected signals at 730 m (2,395 ft) on under 10 watts – and performance held steady regardless of turbidity, obstacles, or multipath interference.
—Omar Kardoudi
june 06, New Atlas, 6 June 2026
Deterring Smuggling Activity Through Patrols These challenges include strong currents and obstacles below and above water like logs, roots and dense mud banks.
—Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026
Taken together, Cramer said the session highlighted a market that remains willing to look past potential obstacles and continue buying stocks.
—Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 4 June 2026
Developing new housing in the United States is devilishly complicated, lined with obstacles like zoning laws and public review processes that can vary by zip code.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
These obstacles are inevitable.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 3 June 2026
In a season defined by loyalty, betrayal, and survival, everyone faces personal obstacles — but not everyone will make it through.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 2 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obstacles
Noun
-
Overcoming cost barriers with advanced architecture Traditional nuclear energy projects frequently face economic hurdles due to the extensive lead times and high capital requirements of manufacturing heavy components.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
-
California has the third-most data centers in the country, with 300, but high electricity rates, expensive land and regulatory hurdles mean that fewer, and smaller, facilities are currently planned than in other hotspots.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Not just crashes, but obstructions, emergency scene conflicts, unexpected stops in travel lanes and response-time performance.—
David Roberts,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Of the photons of light that avoid clouds of dust and other deep-space obstructions to reach our planet, most don’t make it through Earth’s thick atmosphere, let alone through a telescope’s loss-prone optics.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
So using these as natural barriers obviously has an enormous significance — enormous importance.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
6 June 2026
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The department is also advancing plans for the South Delta Gates project, which would replace the temporary rock barriers with permanent operable gates.—
Reeti Malhotra
June 5,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The professional embarrassments even take place at the level of state supreme courts.—
Martin Kaste,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
-
That’s not only because judges are fining more lawyers for their laziness, but because the publicity about these embarrassments has been inescapable.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obstacles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obstacles. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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