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 researchers created the virtual animals and released them into a synthetic world, giving them tasks on how to navigate, avoid obstacles and find food.
—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
The secluded area in Arizona where Guthrie lives and appears to have been kidnapped in the early morning hours of February 1 continues to present obstacles, as does the intense media scrutiny.
—Elizabeth Hartfield, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, that tends to run up against all sorts of legal and political obstacles, not to mention the difficulty, expense, and scheduling challenges involved in modifying commercial ships.
—David Szondy
february 15, New Atlas, 15 Feb. 2026
But a recent swing through the Maracaibo region in northwestern Venezuela dramatized the many obstacles.
—Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Everyone in life faces obstacles and setbacks while trying to achieve hopes and dreams without realizing what God is doing, Tebow said.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 15 Feb. 2026
The issue is when phones become physical (or emotional) obstacles.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 15 Feb. 2026
While officials have described the talks as constructive, major obstacles remain, chief among them the future of territory in eastern Ukraine where Moscow has shown little sign of softening its demands.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
Henderson sent a video to Jack Jolie, rooting for the bubbly youngster to overcome all the obstacles stacked up against him.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
The secluded area in Arizona where Guthrie lives and appears to have been kidnapped in the early morning hours of February 1 continues to present obstacles, as does the intense media scrutiny.
—Elizabeth Hartfield, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, that tends to run up against all sorts of legal and political obstacles, not to mention the difficulty, expense, and scheduling challenges involved in modifying commercial ships.
—David Szondy
february 15, New Atlas, 15 Feb. 2026
But a recent swing through the Maracaibo region in northwestern Venezuela dramatized the many obstacles.
—Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Everyone in life faces obstacles and setbacks while trying to achieve hopes and dreams without realizing what God is doing, Tebow said.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 15 Feb. 2026
The issue is when phones become physical (or emotional) obstacles.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 15 Feb. 2026
While officials have described the talks as constructive, major obstacles remain, chief among them the future of territory in eastern Ukraine where Moscow has shown little sign of softening its demands.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
Henderson sent a video to Jack Jolie, rooting for the bubbly youngster to overcome all the obstacles stacked up against him.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obstacles
Noun
-
But there is optimism in the community that both these hurdles can be cleared.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2026
-
There are a host of legal hurdles Trump will have to overcome to keep this one alive.—
Jack Greiner,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Crews advanced hose lines to the second floor and had difficulty gaining access because of obstructions behind the bedroom door, according to the release.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Check slopes for bare spots, holes and obstructions, like rocks, fences or poles.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Reducing meetings to once a month and limiting public comment create barriers.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Last year’s blitz of bills, capping off years of gradual legislative efforts to remove regulatory barriers to building dense housing across California, has, in Wicks’ view, teed up this next big swing.—
Ben Christopher,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But anomaly detection may have prevented embarrassments like the one at OPERA.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
3 Feb. 2026
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All the teams ran largely reliably and there were no major embarrassments playing out in front of the public and the media.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obstacles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obstacles. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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