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
That disconnect is beginning to create what could become the new trust economy—one in which governance, authentication, transparency and accountability become strategic advantages for the companies in this space, rather than just operational or compliance obstacles.
—
Jacques Ledbetter, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
His fragile starman is a strange, complex being navigating his way through Earth’s obstacles, including love, lust, addiction, greed, and ambition in his plight to save his planet and survive the chaos caused by his arrival.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 29 May 2026
Aureliano Buendía’s journey is not that of a hero who triumphs after overcoming obstacles, but that of a figure driven by inner will who is overcome by external coercion.
—Roberto Andrés, The Dial, 28 May 2026
Kelly is blunt about the obstacles.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 May 2026
But constructing ever-bulkier hardware rapidly runs into physical and economic obstacles that limit the size of any single telescope and the sharpness of our cosmic views.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 27 May 2026
Black entrepreneurs continue to face tremendous obstacles securing funding, city contracts and institutional support.
—Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
Hotels in Los Angeles cited visa complications and long distances from the venue as obstacles to bookings.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026
Even more impressive is the fact that David has overcome so many obstacles to this point.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 23 May 2026
Jacques Ledbetter, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
His fragile starman is a strange, complex being navigating his way through Earth’s obstacles, including love, lust, addiction, greed, and ambition in his plight to save his planet and survive the chaos caused by his arrival.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 29 May 2026
Aureliano Buendía’s journey is not that of a hero who triumphs after overcoming obstacles, but that of a figure driven by inner will who is overcome by external coercion.
—Roberto Andrés, The Dial, 28 May 2026
Kelly is blunt about the obstacles.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 May 2026
But constructing ever-bulkier hardware rapidly runs into physical and economic obstacles that limit the size of any single telescope and the sharpness of our cosmic views.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 27 May 2026
Black entrepreneurs continue to face tremendous obstacles securing funding, city contracts and institutional support.
—Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
Hotels in Los Angeles cited visa complications and long distances from the venue as obstacles to bookings.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026
Even more impressive is the fact that David has overcome so many obstacles to this point.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obstacles
Noun
-
China race accelerates The investment comes as Nvidia faces growing regulatory hurdles in selling to the mainland Chinese market.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
27 May 2026
-
In short, there are a lot of hurdles.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
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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
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Water causes cotton to expand rather than dissolve, which can create obstructions in pipes.—
Emily Benda Gaylord,
The Spruce,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
Removing barriers for non-traditional students like prohibitive costs or complicated admissions and financial aid processes is one way to improve access, said Lane, who helps create the commission’s enrollment reports.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
Additionally, opposition parties have reported political repression and administrative barriers.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
31 May 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 1 Jun. 2026.
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