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
The television industry can be a competitive environment for emerging writers with no shortage of obstacles.
—
Katie Campione, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
The obstacles to higher uptake are multifold and stubborn.
—Elliot Haspel, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025
Minister Kabawat’s optimism comes despite immense obstacles.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
McGraw is no stranger to overcoming obstacles.
—Sarah Sotoodeh, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
But there's also a lot of stories of people overcoming a lot of obstacles, and that's synonymous with what Kayla has done.
—Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Oct. 2025
That a war was on, or latent, or menacing during the whole shooting period set the quixotic mood in which most of the obstacles were confronted.
—Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
The one-minute clip shows glimpses of Thia and Dek battling dangerous obstacles and Predators on their journey.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Advertisement Political obstacles The electoral dispute highlights Somalia’s ongoing political dilemmas.
—Omar S Mahmood, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
Katie Campione, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
The obstacles to higher uptake are multifold and stubborn.
—Elliot Haspel, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025
Minister Kabawat’s optimism comes despite immense obstacles.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
McGraw is no stranger to overcoming obstacles.
—Sarah Sotoodeh, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
But there's also a lot of stories of people overcoming a lot of obstacles, and that's synonymous with what Kayla has done.
—Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Oct. 2025
That a war was on, or latent, or menacing during the whole shooting period set the quixotic mood in which most of the obstacles were confronted.
—Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
The one-minute clip shows glimpses of Thia and Dek battling dangerous obstacles and Predators on their journey.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Advertisement Political obstacles The electoral dispute highlights Somalia’s ongoing political dilemmas.
—Omar S Mahmood, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obstacles
Noun
-
The journey to the pad involved challenges and hurdles in terms of engineering, financing, regulations and licensing — including 24 different permits from Queensland, along with environmental and airspace approvals — as well as finding a location for a launch pad.—
Andrew Jones,
Space.com,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Not that Lana needed any more hurdles to overcome.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
If possible, position yourself in a flat, open area with minimal tree cover, rocks, cliffs, or other obstructions that may block the sound of the whistle.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
1 Oct. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
The result is more and more tariffs, higher and higher trade barriers, and less and less competition.—
Bill Barrow,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Trump signed the pardon Wednesday, which forgave Zhao’s conviction and could ease barriers to any future role at the company, though legal and compliance restrictions remain.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For many, the glamour of it all seemed to be gone, replaced with a glossy series of embarrassments.—
Lyz Lenz,
Rolling Stone,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obstacles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obstacles. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share