1
as in hardships
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal
the many difficulties that he encountered on the road from poor orphan to head of a major corporation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complications
something that makes a situation more complicated or difficult
there was a minor difficulty when we realized that the store had already closed
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in objections
a feeling or declaration of disapproval or dissent
the only difficulty I have with the dress is its color—does it come in anything besides purple?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in controversies
variance of opinion on a matter
the theologian's ongoing difficulties with the Vatican
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of difficulties
Genius Group shuts down due to financial difficulties.
—
Maria Cristina Pavarini, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
Research has linked untreated hearing loss to social withdrawal, workplace difficulties, and cognitive health concerns later in life.
—Matthew Kayser, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2026
Shaath said in the video that the deportation move followed earlier difficulties renewing his French residency papers, despite his family ties in France.
—Thomas Adamson, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Those customers have complained online about being unable to use AcuRite Now to rename multiple temperature sensors, difficulties uploading data to weather sites, and the app only reporting temperatures in whole numbers.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
But there were major personal difficulties.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 May 2026
In addition to impacts of untreated depression on the mother, developing children are also at greater risk for prematurity and low birth weight, and higher rates of impulsivity, socialization issues, and cognitive, behavioral and emotional difficulties.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
Allowing children to repeat the same mistakes time and again and learn nothing from the experience other than to expect someone will always be there to bail them out of their difficulties is not a recipe for a happy life.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
Diaz has created a GoFundMe page to raise money for their dream wedding in light of the recent difficulties.
—Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Maria Cristina Pavarini, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
Research has linked untreated hearing loss to social withdrawal, workplace difficulties, and cognitive health concerns later in life.
—Matthew Kayser, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2026
Shaath said in the video that the deportation move followed earlier difficulties renewing his French residency papers, despite his family ties in France.
—Thomas Adamson, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Those customers have complained online about being unable to use AcuRite Now to rename multiple temperature sensors, difficulties uploading data to weather sites, and the app only reporting temperatures in whole numbers.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
But there were major personal difficulties.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 May 2026
In addition to impacts of untreated depression on the mother, developing children are also at greater risk for prematurity and low birth weight, and higher rates of impulsivity, socialization issues, and cognitive, behavioral and emotional difficulties.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
Allowing children to repeat the same mistakes time and again and learn nothing from the experience other than to expect someone will always be there to bail them out of their difficulties is not a recipe for a happy life.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
Diaz has created a GoFundMe page to raise money for their dream wedding in light of the recent difficulties.
—Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulties
Noun
-
That maximum was put in place to help borrowers avoid extreme financial hardships caused by the wage garnishment process.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
-
Lower-income families and communities of color are disproportionately facing hardships and more likely to be facing imminent financial insecurity, including falling behind on bills or cutting back on food.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
During this period, there’s a heightened risk for complications such as infection, hemorrhage, heart issues, sepsis and preeclampsia.—
Roni Robbins,
AJC.com,
15 May 2026
-
Only one insurance brokerage, Global Protective Solutions, offers complications coverage that anyone traveling for medical tourism can apply for.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Some members of the House have raised objections to provisions of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, in particular the ban on purchases by institutional investors.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
12 May 2026
-
Neither country’s domestic politics raised objections from the EBU, which viewed the contest purely as a broadcasting exercise, not a method for political accountability.—
Steven Blum,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The conviction joins a running list of jail controversies for the Sheriff’s Office, mostly occurring under the previous administration under Laurie Smith and costing the county more than $20 million in legal settlements.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
-
One of his ex-wives addressed his racist language In the midst of Fuhrman's controversies in the Simpson murder trial, his second wife, Janet (then Hackett), spoke to several news outlets to share her opinions on her ex-husband.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Capturing all the complexities requires an equally complex quantum machine.—
Zeeya Merali,
Scientific American,
19 May 2026
-
The outbreak was also undetected for weeks, adding to the complexities in containing it.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
With very few exceptions, an end was declared, not only to empires, but also to city-states, duchies, principalities, emirates, sultanates, caliphates, khanates, agencies, princely states, colonies, suzerains, dependencies, mandates, tributaries, condominia and protectorates.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
In the aggregate, there is a correlation between earlier picks and better outcomes, but exceptions abound.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Dela Rosa’s legal predicament came as political disputes escalated between the Duterte family and Marcos.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
The rival superpowers entered the summit divided over thorny issues including Taiwan, trade disputes and the Iran war.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Saum Poorsaleh, complaints triggered the internal affairs investigation.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
The massive data centers, warehouse-like buildings housing the computer servers and other infrastructure used to power AI, are at the center of steadily growing complaints from communities about energy bills, noise and environmental impacts.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Difficulties.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulties. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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