stumbling block
noun
stum·bling block
ˈstəm-bliŋ- 
1
: an obstacle to progress
2
: an impediment to belief or understanding : perplexity
Examples of stumbling block in a Sentence
Lack of funds is a major stumbling block to the project.
My plans hit a stumbling block.
Recent Examples on the Web
Women’s history, too, has been full of stumbling blocks.
—
Aimée Eubanks Davis, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Likewise, the Joint Policy Committee surveyed members during that same time period on areas of the contracts that were working and others that had proved to be stumbling blocks.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2025
Much of this work would require Congress to go along, which has been a stumbling block in the past.
—Emily Peck, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025
Recommended Creativity Idina Menzel’s new Broadway show has a towering co-star: Stella the tree
One potential stumbling block could be President Zelenskyy’s insistence that any deal include serious security guarantees for his country.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumbling block
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Aimée Eubanks Davis, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Likewise, the Joint Policy Committee surveyed members during that same time period on areas of the contracts that were working and others that had proved to be stumbling blocks.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2025
Much of this work would require Congress to go along, which has been a stumbling block in the past.
—Emily Peck, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025
Recommended Creativity Idina Menzel’s new Broadway show has a towering co-star: Stella the tree
One potential stumbling block could be President Zelenskyy’s insistence that any deal include serious security guarantees for his country.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stumbling block
Cite this Entry
“Stumbling block.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stumbling%20block. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stumbling block
noun
stum·bling block
ˈstəm-bliŋ-
1
: an obstacle to belief or understanding
2
: an obstacle to progress
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