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
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 stumbling block
However, one of the stumbling blocks on this pathway is borate, which is a family of common compounds found in seawater.
—
Keith Cooper, Space.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Cannon’s second and third languages become stumbling blocks for the reader, and visual shortcuts for emotional distance.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
Overcoming Challenges Rickson’s journey wasn’t without its stumbling blocks.
—K.h. Koehler, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
The company launched its eleventh Starship test rocket earlier this month following a string of stumbling blocks and explosions.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumbling block
Keith Cooper, Space.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Cannon’s second and third languages become stumbling blocks for the reader, and visual shortcuts for emotional distance.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
Overcoming Challenges Rickson’s journey wasn’t without its stumbling blocks.
—K.h. Koehler, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
The company launched its eleventh Starship test rocket earlier this month following a string of stumbling blocks and explosions.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumbling block
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling block
Noun
-
The deadly mass shooting at a school in British Columbia came as Canadian authorities face significant obstacles in rolling out a nationwide firearms buyback that is mired in practical and logistical complications.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Over the next 10 years, the Goo Goo Dolls would follow a trajectory of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and increasingly unlikely triumphs that more closely resembles a fictional underdog team from a Disney movie than a rock band.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Stier / Getty Images Earlier today in the men’s figure skating final, fellow American Maxim Naumov had to skate through a different kind of mental hurdle.—
The Sports Desk,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
-
In 2026, residents of Mathews, Mint Hill and Pineville face several specific barriers to health care access ranging from escalating costs to significant geographic and logistical hurdles.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Guevara and two colleagues, then-detectives Michael Mason and Ernest Halvorson, then orchestrated a frame-up by coercing one witness to identify Rios by beating him with a phone book and flashlight, and another by threatening to charge him with obstruction, according to the plaintiffs’ allegations.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Prosecutors say a civilian and a military reservist have been indicted for bribery and obstruction of justice, with an undisclosed number of others also arrested for placing Polymarket wagers based on classified information, according to a statement released Thursday by officials in Tel Aviv.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Well, there was a great deal left in me, in an agony of embarrassment looking around for that hole on the floor to crawl into.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
-
But anomaly detection may have prevented embarrassments like the one at OPERA.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumbling block.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling%20block. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
