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
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
Cannon’s second and third languages become stumbling blocks for the reader, and visual shortcuts for emotional distance.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
Overcoming Challenges Rickson’s journey wasn’t without its stumbling blocks.
—K.h. Koehler, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumbling block
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
Cannon’s second and third languages become stumbling blocks for the reader, and visual shortcuts for emotional distance.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
Overcoming Challenges Rickson’s journey wasn’t without its stumbling blocks.
—K.h. Koehler, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumbling block
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling block
Noun
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The deadly mass shooting at a school in British Columbia came as Canadian authorities face significant obstacles in rolling out a nationwide firearms buyback that is mired in practical and logistical complications.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
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Over the next 10 years, the Goo Goo Dolls would follow a trajectory of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and increasingly unlikely triumphs that more closely resembles a fictional underdog team from a Disney movie than a rock band.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Stier / Getty Images Earlier today in the men’s figure skating final, fellow American Maxim Naumov had to skate through a different kind of mental hurdle.—
The Sports Desk,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
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In 2026, residents of Mathews, Mint Hill and Pineville face several specific barriers to health care access ranging from escalating costs to significant geographic and logistical hurdles.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Guevara and two colleagues, then-detectives Michael Mason and Ernest Halvorson, then orchestrated a frame-up by coercing one witness to identify Rios by beating him with a phone book and flashlight, and another by threatening to charge him with obstruction, according to the plaintiffs’ allegations.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2026
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Prosecutors say a civilian and a military reservist have been indicted for bribery and obstruction of justice, with an undisclosed number of others also arrested for placing Polymarket wagers based on classified information, according to a statement released Thursday by officials in Tel Aviv.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The parents or hosts bearing a disproportionate share of the expense is not surprising, and should not be a cause of embarrassment as long as proper gratitude is expressed.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
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The parents/hosts bearing a disproportionate share of the expense is not surprising, and should not be a cause of embarrassment as long as proper gratitude is expressed.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumbling block.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling%20block. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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