as in obstacles
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the only stumbling block to our move across the country was finding someone to adopt our cats
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Recent Examples of stumbling blocks
One of the stumbling blocks — the principal stumbling block — to his doing more with Presley was the boy’s manager, Bob Neal, who seemed infuriatingly unsusceptible to persuasion, promotion, or even recognition of his own (let alone his artist’s) ever-increasing opportunities.
—
Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling blocks
Noun
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In its latest publication, the lobby representing over 1,600 member companies put forward 1,141 recommendations to Chinese policymakers, aimed at smoothing over various obstacles faced by European firms in the country.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
17 Sep. 2025
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But just as emerging concerns around hallucinations, data privacy and copyright have put up barriers to generative AI that some organizations have found insurmountable, agents have their own set of obstacles.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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One of the big hurdles Paramount and Skydance likely wouldn’t have to worry about is the FCC.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
12 Sep. 2025
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Education remains one of the category’s biggest hurdles, since many shoppers still view honey as interchangeable.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In 2025, Roborock launched a vacuum cleaner with a robotic arm for moving socks and other obstructions out of the way.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
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It’s bound to be laden with obstructions and those looking to undermine change.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Trial-size packaging lowers entry barriers in premium categories.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
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People without health insurance cannot access services, services in the county are fragmented, and low income creates additional barriers for residents, especially residents of color, the story found.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stumbling blocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling%20blocks. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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