stumbling block
noun
stum·bling block
ˈstəm-bliŋ- 
1
: an obstacle to progress
2
: an impediment to belief or understanding : perplexity
Examples of stumbling block in a Sentence
Lack of funds is a major stumbling block to the project.
My plans hit a stumbling block.
Recent Examples on the Web
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
The stumbling block has been the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which has oversight on the sale of US assets.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 10 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
See All Example Sentences for stumbling block
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Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
The stumbling block has been the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which has oversight on the sale of US assets.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 10 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
See All Example Sentences for stumbling block
Cite this Entry
“Stumbling block.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stumbling%20block. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stumbling block
noun
stum·bling block
ˈstəm-bliŋ-
1
: an obstacle to belief or understanding
2
: an obstacle to progress
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