obstacles

noun

plural of obstacle
as in hurdles
something that makes movement or progress difficult stumbling on all the obstacles along the path

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of obstacles If the state case does go forward after the likely appeals are exhausted, there are obstacles that could get in the way of a potential trial. — Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026 If trading partners try to mount further obstacles to Chinese exports, Beijing could turn to tools of economic coercion, such as restricted access to refined critical minerals, to compel other countries to keep their markets open. — Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026 Kids today face tremendous obstacles, but perhaps because of the pandemic, many, like Keira, are well-rounded and involved in work, school, extracurricular activities and devoted to their friends and family. — Nicole Russell, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026 Kevin is reluctantly forced to go to trial, facing such logistical obstacles as the difficulty of serving Road Runner a subpoena. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 Authorities limited or restricted access to another 123 sites because of environmental conditions or obstacles that could hinder an evacuation in the event of a wildfire. — Suman Naishadham, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026 The Hummer’s tech aids in overcoming obstacles created by its massive size. — Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 12 Aug. 2026 An outright ban on deceptive PAC names would face serious First Amendment obstacles. — Andrew Moshirnia, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2026 For many commercial fleets, access to fueling has remained one of the biggest obstacles to adopting natural gas vehicles. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obstacles
  1. hurdles
  2. obstructions
  3. barriers
  4. embarrassments
Noun
  • For 35 years, the mobile clinic has been going into Boston's underserved communities to bring free health screenings and medical advice to people who may have numerous hurdles to find it.
    — Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • For some districts like Kalangala — a PURPOSE 1 trial site that wasn't included in the country's initial rollout — the oral route remains but long-standing hurdles persist.
    — Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of hurdles
Noun
  • State justice officials also claimed that Menlo Park forced the developers to pay the city attorney’s legal bills in supporting the municipality’s obstructions against the project.
    — George Avalos, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The tip of a needle can also be helpful for clearing obstructions in the filter.
    — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 July 2026
Definition of obstructions
Noun
  • Among the ideas are additional bike lanes and barriers to create a buffer between bicycles and cars.
    — James Taylor, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Tombo Banda, managing director of CrossBoundary Energy, said Chinese factories are producing more vehicle s than the domestic market can absorb while exports face mounting barriers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of barriers
Noun
  • Sitting around a table in the soundstage where the pilot for I Love Lucy was filmed, the six of them tailored the roles to the actors and infused the script with arguments, embarrassments, and confessions from their own relationships.
    — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 26 June 2026
  • The order to whitewash America’s historic sites of anything less than rosy about the nation’s past has led to some predictable embarrassments.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
Definition of embarrassments

Browse Nearby Words

obstacle
obstacles
obstetrician
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Cite this Entry

“Obstacles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obstacles. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on obstacles

Nglish: Translation of obstacles for Spanish Speakers

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