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
Without proper infrastructure, even the most advanced technology can become a stumbling block rather than a solution.
—
Theresa McDonnell, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
There’s a significant stumbling block to that reunion.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
But what seems like a minor infraction many years ago could be a stumbling block.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for stumbling block
Theresa McDonnell, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
There’s a significant stumbling block to that reunion.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
But what seems like a minor infraction many years ago could be a stumbling block.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for stumbling block
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling block
Noun
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Still, recent history has thrown obstacles in the way of developers’ timelines for Sacramento-area sports venues.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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It was struck down, eliminating an obstacle for those lawsuits to get to trial.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Separately, industry experts point to fundamental technical hurdles.—
Ruben Nyanguila,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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The landfill project has faced several hurdles and drawn the ire of residents since 2024, when Chisholm filed an application for a permit.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Jason Olson was cited for resisting arrest, interfering with a crime scene investigation and obstruction of government operations, according to FOX 10.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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The filing, entered Monday by Comey’s legal defense team, confirms that evidence collected in the leak investigation, codenamed Arctic Haze, is central to the Justice Department’s false-statement and obstruction case against him.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Remember his embarrassment after winning the 2016 presidential election but losing the national popular vote?—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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For years now, Fuentes has been both an embarrassment to the right and an indicator of what’s brewing in the id of conservatism.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stumbling block.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling%20block. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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