Illustration of hurdle
- hurdle 2a
1
a
: a portable panel usually of wattled withes and stakes used especially for enclosing land or livestock
b
: a frame or sled formerly used in England for dragging traitors to execution
2
a
: an artificial barrier over which racers must leap
knocked over a hurdle
b
hurdles plural, track and field
: any of various events in which racers must jump over a series of hurdles
won a medal in the high hurdles
The hurdles is his best event.
hurdled; hurdling
ˈhər-dᵊl-iŋ 
ˈhərd-liŋ
1
: to leap over especially while running (as in a sporting competition)
hurdling an obstacle in a steeplechase
Did you know?
Hurdle vs. Hurtle
Indistinguishable in speech, the words hurtle and hurdle can be a confusing pair.
Hurtle is a verb with two meanings: "to move rapidly or forcefully," as in "The stone was hurtling through the air," and "to hurl or fling," as in "I hurtled the stone into the air." Note that the first use is intransitive: the stone isn't hurtling anything; it itself is simply hurtling. The second use is transitive: something was hurtled—in this case, a stone.
Hurdle is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, its most common meanings have to do with barriers: the ones that runners leap over, and the metaphorical extension of these, the figurative barriers and obstacles we try to similarly overcome. The verb hurdle has two meanings, and they are directly related to these. It can mean "to leap over especially while running," as in "She hurdled the fence," and it can mean "to overcome or surmount," as in "They've had to hurdle significant financial obstacles." The verb hurdle is always transitive; that is, there's always a thing being hurdled, whether it be a physical obstacle or a metaphorical one.
Synonyms
Examples of hurdle in a Sentence
Noun
He won a medal in the high hurdles.
The company faces severe financial hurdles this year.
Verb
The horse hurdled the fence.
Recent Examples on the Web
Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 19 Nov. 2024
Yet, achieving this alignment is challenging due to three significant hurdles: change, challenge, and choice.
—Kevin Kruse, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 18 May 2024
But even with sophisticated technology, governments will struggle to develop vaccines quickly without first hurdling some logistical challenges.
—Nicole Lurie, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
See all Example Sentences for hurdle 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
The news sparked a relief rally among investors, boosting confidence in the company’s ability to navigate regulatory hurdles.
—Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 19 Nov. 2024
Yet, achieving this alignment is challenging due to three significant hurdles: change, challenge, and choice.
—Kevin Kruse, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
Mitty’s hurdling trio headlines girls team champs, St. Ignatius is boys champion
Laniah Simpson, Taylor Oden, and Tiana Osuna embraced as Archbishop Mitty teammates, medalists, and CIF State championship qualifiers after finishing first, second, and third, respectively, in the 100-meter hurdles.
—Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 18 May 2024
But even with sophisticated technology, governments will struggle to develop vaccines quickly without first hurdling some logistical challenges.
—Nicole Lurie, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
See all Example Sentences for hurdle
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Dictionary Entries Near hurdle
Cite this Entry
“Hurdle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hurdle. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hurdle
2 of 2 verb
hurdled; hurdling
ˈhərd-liŋ
-ᵊl-iŋ
1
: to leap over while running
the horse hurdled the fence
2
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