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
-
In Waterfield’s view, the single biggest obstacle for genetic genealogy is the cost of lab work and rising upload fees associated with the DNA databases relied upon by investigators.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Anything that was anti-Jewish—a story about exclusion, an obstacle that hadn’t come down, a disapproving enumeration of supposedly Jewish traits—was possibly more fascinating.—
Nicholas Lemann,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Florida bills would do much of that work by forcing married and divorced women to navigate expensive bureaucratic hurdles to match their maiden and married names.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Had there been hurdles to that process before this latest round of negotiations happened?—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Its version, Satellite SOS, works similarly, and requires a clear view of the sky with as little obstruction as possible.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
-
If convicted, each defendant faces up to 10 years in prison for each trade secret charge and up to 20 years for obstruction of justice, along with fines of up to $250,000 per count.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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 23 Feb. 2026.
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