as in obstacles
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 blocks
One of the stumbling blocks — the principal stumbling block — to his doing more with Presley was the boy’s manager, Bob Neal, who seemed infuriatingly unsusceptible to persuasion, promotion, or even recognition of his own (let alone his artist’s) ever-increasing opportunities.
—
Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling blocks
Noun
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To strengthen an organization’s risk management, executives and boards must first identify cultural obstacles, according to the report.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
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This missile allows tank crews to hit targets that are hidden behind buildings, trees, or other obstacles without exposing themselves to enemy fire.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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One of the big hurdles Paramount and Skydance likely wouldn’t have to worry about is the FCC.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
12 Sep. 2025
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Education remains one of the category’s biggest hurdles, since many shoppers still view honey as interchangeable.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In 2025, Roborock launched a vacuum cleaner with a robotic arm for moving socks and other obstructions out of the way.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
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The Buck is collecting data to identify any obstructions to the safe navigation of traffic entering or exiting the Port of Baltimore via the Fort McHenry Federal Channel.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Trial-size packaging lowers entry barriers in premium categories.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
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People without health insurance cannot access services, services in the county are fragmented, and low income creates additional barriers for residents, especially residents of color, the story found.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stumbling blocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling%20blocks. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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