1
2
as in complexity
something that makes a situation more complicated or difficult there was a minor difficulty when we realized that the store had already closed

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4

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 difficulty For a deeper and more personalized analysis of puzzle difficulty, please visit Connections Bot. New York Times Games, New York Times, 18 May 2025 A number of small private colleges, such as Eastern Nazarene College in Massachusetts, have closed or merged with other universities due to financial difficulties. Amy Li, The Conversation, 16 May 2025 Health care professionals who have studied the warning signs and symptoms of strokes have developed the acronym F.A.S.T. to teach individuals how to recognize the symptoms: Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty and Time to call 911. Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 16 May 2025 Listen to Booster and Yang talk about the difficulty of working alongside their cutie costars in the podcast episode above. EW.com, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for difficulty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for difficulty
Noun
  • Defined as stress or anxiety tied to past financial hardships, financial trauma does not always look like bankruptcy or foreclosure.
    Alejandra Rojas, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
  • When asked whether the settlement came at a time of financial hardship for her family, Ventura denied this was the case.
    Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • Overview The complexities of the U.K.’s indirect tax landscape can be challenging for overseas businesses to navigate when starting to sell here for the first time, especially for those selling to consumers.
    Robert Marchant, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
  • Doctors across the country are navigating a fast-changing healthcare landscape where administrative complexity and evolving reimbursement structures are creating new challenges for even the most experienced providers.
    William Jones, USA Today, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • And an attorney representing local developers cited the law in objection to the county’s move to prevent thousands of new homes from being built beyond the county’s development boundary.
    Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025
  • The defense objected to the response, and the judge sustained the objection, meaning the jury cannot consider his response as evidence.
    Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 22 May 2025
Noun
  • Her crypto controversy began the very next day, resulting in a show hiatus.
    Skyler Caruso, People.com, 20 May 2025
  • But the treaty is not without its controversies, some of which remain to be sorted out.
    Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • The new strategy would continue the current vaccine approval process for people ages 65 and older and younger people with health problems that put them at high risk for serious complications from the virus.
    Rob Stein, NPR, 22 May 2025
  • Additional measures to avoid oral complications should also be taken, according to Sachar.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 22 May 2025
Noun
  • Judge Florence Pan pressed Graver to explain why the Federal Reserve should be carved out as an exception to boards Trump should have control over, but the labor boards should not.
    Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 16 May 2025
  • But there's at least one exception in the United States: The Weddell Duo inline shower filter is certified to remove chlorine from water systems treated with free chlorine.
    Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • The dispute has unfolded as CBS parent company Paramount Global seeks the FCC’s approval for a multi-billion-dollar merger with Skydance.
    Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
  • The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said that its around 450 members in New Jersey Transit were walking off the job at 12:01 a.m., in a dispute over pay.
    Phil Helsel, NBC news, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • The complaint says a 58-year-old woman showed up at AdventHealth TimberRidge ER in Ocala with chills, fever and numbness in her hands and face.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 18 May 2025
  • The party started to end in January 2017, when the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint against Yim and Breathometer, alleging the company misled customers about the product’s ability to accurately measure blood alcohol content.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 17 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Difficulty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/difficulty. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on difficulty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!