as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the only stumbling block to our move across the country was finding someone to adopt our cats
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Recent Examples of stumbling block
But getting hung up on the purity of beginning from the beginning is more likely to be a stumbling block than a source of pleasure.
—
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Liverpool would have needed to pay compensation to convince Sunderland to terminate their loan arrangement, but the north-east club also needed to recruit a replacement and that was a stumbling block with the time pressures.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
The change could prove a stumbling block for people who need to ensure that mail such as bill payments, taxes or voting ballots are postmarked by specific dates.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
However, one of the stumbling blocks on this pathway is borate, which is a family of common compounds found in seawater.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stumbling block
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Liverpool would have needed to pay compensation to convince Sunderland to terminate their loan arrangement, but the north-east club also needed to recruit a replacement and that was a stumbling block with the time pressures.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
The change could prove a stumbling block for people who need to ensure that mail such as bill payments, taxes or voting ballots are postmarked by specific dates.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
However, one of the stumbling blocks on this pathway is borate, which is a family of common compounds found in seawater.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stumbling block
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling block
Noun
-
In the end, the deepest release isn’t about getting a medical tag, but rather about understanding why those unrelenting obstacles continued to exist.—
Lucy Jones
April 11,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Because Anna and Matteo were never actually together, her clear attraction with Michael doesn’t face any meaningful obstacles, aside from some obligatory (and weakly justified) initial sniping between the two leads.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The ceasefire brokered by Pakistan still faces hurdles in the talks beginning Saturday, as Israel and Hezbollah militants have been trading fire along the border of southern Lebanon and Iran has set conditions before negotiations can begin.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Then, for Artemis IV, there are even greater hurdles.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
According to Harvard Health, rarer but more serious side effects can include inflammation of the pancreas, called pancreatitis; gastroparesis, or the slowing or stopping of movement of food through the stomach; bowel obstruction or blockage; and gallstone attacks or bile duct blockages.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
-
In March 2024, authorities arrested 32-year-old Lashawn Washington and charged her with first-degree felony murder, kidnapping and obstruction of justice.—
Veronica Fulton,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The nonprofit Bike New York offers free instruction and groups everyone by age to avoid embarrassment.—
The Editors,
Curbed,
16 Apr. 2026
-
When appealing to a congressional answering machine fails, perhaps public embarrassment is the most effective lever to pull.—
Paula Mejía,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumbling block.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling%20block. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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