as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the only stumbling block to our move across the country was finding someone to adopt our cats
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Recent Examples of stumbling block
Joanne and Noah scarcely clash, and even a midseason episode where Joanne’s attraction to Noah is threatened by his eagerness to please her parents barely registers as a stumbling block.
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Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2024
Williams’ €58m buyout clause, which La Liga rules state must be paid in a single lump sum up front, was another stumbling block.
—Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 11 Aug. 2024
The England international’s £325,000-a-week wages would be a stumbling block too.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
Niccol diagnosed Starbucks’ extensive menu as a stumbling block to this goal and plans to cull elaborate drinks and some menu items.
—Bysasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stumbling block 
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2024
Williams’ €58m buyout clause, which La Liga rules state must be paid in a single lump sum up front, was another stumbling block.
—Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 11 Aug. 2024
The England international’s £325,000-a-week wages would be a stumbling block too.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
Niccol diagnosed Starbucks’ extensive menu as a stumbling block to this goal and plans to cull elaborate drinks and some menu items.
—Bysasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stumbling block
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumbling block
Noun
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Beijing will face obstacles to this strategy in Europe, since its de facto support for Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine is an albatross around Beijing’s effort to improve relations.Evan A. Feigenbaum, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
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High costs and insurance gaps remain major obstacles to access.Melvin Backman, Quartz, 3 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Fetterman is a co-sponsor of the Laken Riley Act — an immigration bill aimed at curbing crime by migrants — which cleared its first hurdle toward passage in the Senate last week, when 33 Senate Democrats voted with Republicans in the 84-9 vote Thursday.Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 13 Jan. 2025
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One persistent hurdle is maintaining staff engagement in a high-turnover industry.Christopher Elliott, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
Noun
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According to reports, Rocko, born Rodney Ramone Hill Jr., was arrested last month and charged with disorderly conduct, misdemeanor willful obstruction of law enforcement officials, and criminal trespass.Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 15 Jan. 2025
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Trump was ultimately charged with four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of an official proceeding.CNN.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Some warned that British forces were vulnerable to the same embarrassment as their American allies, who were tarred in 2010 by the leaking of military logs documenting six years of the Afghanistan war by WikiLeaks, the antisecrecy group established by Julian Assange.Mark Landler, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
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The irony, of course, is that the source of the embarrassment is Trump.Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near stumbling block
Cite this Entry
“Stumbling block.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumbling%20block. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
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