as in hurdles
something that makes movement or progress difficult
stumbling on all the obstacles along the path
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of obstacles
While officials have described the talks as constructive, major obstacles remain, chief among them the future of territory in eastern Ukraine where Moscow has shown little sign of softening its demands.
—
Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
When the car finally got moving, protesters began throwing obstacles in its path — Lime scooters, bicycles, seemingly anything that might trigger the car’s automatic anti-collision braking system.
—Evan Minsker, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2026
Henderson sent a video to Jack Jolie, rooting for the bubbly youngster to overcome all the obstacles stacked up against him.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
While road mentality might be one of Missouri’s biggest obstacles right now, the Tigers still have to focus on the opponent, too.
—Ally Schiepp, Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2026
Corona del Mar quarterback Brady Annett overcame his share of obstacles to sign with Eastern Washington on Wednesday.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 6 Feb. 2026
Any obstacles to a good dig-out?
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 5 Feb. 2026
Local and state officials say funding and insurance delays, not permitting, are the real obstacles, with 53% of residents unable to move forward financially.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
But the obstacles are overwhelming.
—Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 1 Feb. 2026
Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
When the car finally got moving, protesters began throwing obstacles in its path — Lime scooters, bicycles, seemingly anything that might trigger the car’s automatic anti-collision braking system.
—Evan Minsker, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2026
Henderson sent a video to Jack Jolie, rooting for the bubbly youngster to overcome all the obstacles stacked up against him.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
While road mentality might be one of Missouri’s biggest obstacles right now, the Tigers still have to focus on the opponent, too.
—Ally Schiepp, Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2026
Corona del Mar quarterback Brady Annett overcame his share of obstacles to sign with Eastern Washington on Wednesday.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 6 Feb. 2026
Any obstacles to a good dig-out?
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 5 Feb. 2026
Local and state officials say funding and insurance delays, not permitting, are the real obstacles, with 53% of residents unable to move forward financially.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
But the obstacles are overwhelming.
—Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obstacles
Noun
-
Long charging times and limited ranges are still two major hurdles that deter many potential EV buyers.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Industries with heavy regulatory hurdles, where adoption will be slowed by compliance, liability, and institutional inertia.—
Matt Shumer,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Check slopes for bare spots, holes and obstructions, like rocks, fences or poles.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Flat roofs with parapets (side walls), stepped roofs, saw-tooth roofs, and roofs with chimneys and other obstructions on top can collect snow in an unbalanced manner, the agency said.—
Bailey Allen,
The Providence Journal,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Skip thin plastic mulches and cheap fabrics and use shredded leaves, wood chips, cardboard, or durable, reusable barriers.—
Dr. Avishesh Neupane,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Paying visitors were forced to take cover when some tourists stood behind the barriers and flung coins down on them from above.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But anomaly detection may have prevented embarrassments like the one at OPERA.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
3 Feb. 2026
-
All the teams ran largely reliably and there were no major embarrassments playing out in front of the public and the media.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obstacles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obstacles. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
