as in hurdles
something that makes movement or progress difficult
stumbling on all the obstacles along the path
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Recent Examples of obstacles
Black entrepreneurs continue to face tremendous obstacles securing funding, city contracts and institutional support.
—
Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
Hotels in Los Angeles cited visa complications and long distances from the venue as obstacles to bookings.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026
Even more impressive is the fact that David has overcome so many obstacles to this point.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 23 May 2026
Levi and Mallios publicly pushed back, arguing that their New York State cannabis license should have permitted operations and accusing the town of creating unnecessary obstacles for legal cannabis businesses despite Southampton never opting out of New York’s legalization framework.
—Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Thousands of Floridians are encountering significant obstacles when attempting to fill prescriptions as health-insurance companies increasingly deny coverage for medications recommended by their doctors.
—Joan Murray, Miami Herald, 22 May 2026
This premium, high-end hybrid robot vacuum and mop features an innovative self-lifting chassis that adjusts in real-time to climb over small thresholds and obstacles.
—Cierra Cowan, PC Magazine, 22 May 2026
The finale is leading to a big convention showdown between Hypergnosis and PINATA, which are each working through obstacles that any responsible company would iron out before going public with their product.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 May 2026
The incidents involving contact with chains, trailer hitches, poles, and curbs indicate recurring limitations in detecting smaller or irregular obstacles, especially during reversing maneuvers.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 16 May 2026
Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
Hotels in Los Angeles cited visa complications and long distances from the venue as obstacles to bookings.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026
Even more impressive is the fact that David has overcome so many obstacles to this point.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 23 May 2026
Levi and Mallios publicly pushed back, arguing that their New York State cannabis license should have permitted operations and accusing the town of creating unnecessary obstacles for legal cannabis businesses despite Southampton never opting out of New York’s legalization framework.
—Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Thousands of Floridians are encountering significant obstacles when attempting to fill prescriptions as health-insurance companies increasingly deny coverage for medications recommended by their doctors.
—Joan Murray, Miami Herald, 22 May 2026
This premium, high-end hybrid robot vacuum and mop features an innovative self-lifting chassis that adjusts in real-time to climb over small thresholds and obstacles.
—Cierra Cowan, PC Magazine, 22 May 2026
The finale is leading to a big convention showdown between Hypergnosis and PINATA, which are each working through obstacles that any responsible company would iron out before going public with their product.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 May 2026
The incidents involving contact with chains, trailer hitches, poles, and curbs indicate recurring limitations in detecting smaller or irregular obstacles, especially during reversing maneuvers.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 16 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obstacles
Noun
-
China race accelerates The investment comes as Nvidia faces growing regulatory hurdles in selling to the mainland Chinese market.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
27 May 2026
-
In short, there are a lot of hurdles.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
If your garbage disposal makes strange noises, turn it off and check for any obstructions in the drain.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
21 May 2026
-
Keep in mind, however, that unlike with sunset, there are more likely to be local obstructions to your visibility of the rising sun.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Those words matter because, for many families, overcoming barriers was part of the struggle itself.—
John W. Beacham,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
-
But a careful reading of the S-1 reveals substantial barriers in the path to achieving the sorcerous performance required to reward shareholders who flock to the most anticipated debut ever seen.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
The professional embarrassments even take place at the level of state supreme courts.—
Martin Kaste,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
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That’s not only because judges are fining more lawyers for their laziness, but because the publicity about these embarrassments has been inescapable.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obstacles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obstacles. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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