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
The screening generated immediate excitement, but the film soon encountered difficulties securing distribution.
—
José Salazar,
IndieWire,
22 June 2026
There have been numerous books written about the difficulties making of that classic.
—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
For some, these negative self-views can lead to difficulties with commitment and more conflict between partners.
—
Christina Balderrama-Durbin,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
The epic has been adapted many times, but the stiffness of most attempts makes one wonder whether the difficulties aren’t insurmountable.
—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
For some men, the difficulties stem from not having had a proper father figure to learn from, or from unexpected battles with postpartum depression.
—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
Witnesses described the difficulties and pain these prices were causing motorists, as well as the pressure on family budgets.
—
Daniel Yergin,
Time,
20 June 2026
Vozinha’s mother, who had initially faced difficulties obtaining a visa, is also expected to arrive in the United States ahead of Sunday’s game.
—
ABC News,
19 June 2026
Defying those difficulties, Alex Vlack’s The Revisionist, a Tribeca world premiere, gives us not one but four main characters who are published or aspiring writers.
—
Stephen Farber,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026
José Salazar,
IndieWire,
22 June 2026
There have been numerous books written about the difficulties making of that classic.
—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
For some, these negative self-views can lead to difficulties with commitment and more conflict between partners.
—
Christina Balderrama-Durbin,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
The epic has been adapted many times, but the stiffness of most attempts makes one wonder whether the difficulties aren’t insurmountable.
—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
For some men, the difficulties stem from not having had a proper father figure to learn from, or from unexpected battles with postpartum depression.
—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
Witnesses described the difficulties and pain these prices were causing motorists, as well as the pressure on family budgets.
—
Daniel Yergin,
Time,
20 June 2026
Vozinha’s mother, who had initially faced difficulties obtaining a visa, is also expected to arrive in the United States ahead of Sunday’s game.
—
ABC News,
19 June 2026
Defying those difficulties, Alex Vlack’s The Revisionist, a Tribeca world premiere, gives us not one but four main characters who are published or aspiring writers.
—
Stephen Farber,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulties
Noun
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So as opposed to, say, inspiring American leaders of all kinds, like a real explanation of the character of Harriet Tubman or of Chief Joseph or Americans struggled against real hardships.
-
The pseudonymous title character, a depressed, drunken, belligerent twenty-six-year-old advice columnist, has no real hardships of his own and is cursed by doubt.
Noun
-
Among the potential complications are severe dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and loss of fluid volume in the body, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
-
The babies, who were about 17 days old, had no complications other than prematurity, the summary said.
Noun
-
The politically complicated situation has raised a few eyebrows — and ethical concerns — among some aldermen who passed the legislation allowing VGTs over the objections of Mayor Brandon Johnson.
-
When New England became a stop on major international trade routes, the multicultural floodgates opened and Puritan objections to things like fashion, elaborate design, lavish displays of wealth and other things deemed excessive were being continually, casually challenged.
Noun
-
But the Dodgers organization seems to always find itself in the middle of other off-field controversies, and last season was no exception.
-
Can Foxx remember a time when all three main wings of local government in Charlotte were dealing with such big changes and controversies?
Noun
-
This software layer must manage data and model lifecycles while providing a cloud-native platform and resilient hypervisor to abstract away hardware complexities.
-
Chinese humanoid makers pay companies like X-Humanoid up to $150 an hour for physical interaction data, depending on the complexities of these chores, said Jiang Weilai, head of the facility X-Humanoid.
Noun
-
The statute would ban covered officers from wearing masks or shielding their identities while on duty and interacting with the public, with exceptions including medical masks, religious coverings, certain tactical equipment and hazardous conditions.
-
While the majority of states have lieutenant governors, there are exceptions.
Noun
-
Showdowns over international inspectors caused years of disputes between the US and Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and more recently Iran.
-
Council members ultimately said the purpose of the sister city program was to build relationships between communities, not to settle international political disputes.
Noun
-
The result was a menu of skin complaints – fungal, bacterial and otherwise.
-
Florida ranks third in overall internet fraud complaints, as well as third in money lost, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center’s 2025 annual report.
Cite this Entry
“Difficulties.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulties. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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