hurdle 1 of 2

noun

ˈhər-dᵊl How to pronounce hurdle (audio)
Definition of hurdlenext
as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult the many hurdles he had to overcome on the road to success

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hurdle

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to leap

Related Words
2
as in to overcome

Related Words

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 hurdle
Noun
Instead, the program faced regulatory hurdles, technical setbacks, and noise complaints from residents. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026 The City Council signed off on a $600 million funding commitment Thursday, finalizing what appears to be the biggest hurdle in the plan to move the Royals to a new stadium in the Crown Center area. — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
There hasn’t been much KP hasn’t been able to hurdle, and that showed in double-overtime wins over Canton in the second round and Pembroke in the quarterfinals, before dethroning defending state champion Medfield in the semifinals. — Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026 These events, almost always streamed or televised, were suddenly hurdling toward obsolescence — one of many casualties inflicted by the transfer portal and NIL. — David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hurdle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurdle
  1. obstacle
  2. leap
  3. overcome
  4. barrier
  5. jump
  6. surmount
  7. skip
  8. best
Noun
  • Travelers leaving Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s other territory in North Africa, are subject to exit checks at ports and airports, an obstacle for migrants who enter the territories illegally and hope to reach the European continent.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The design is meant to move around any obstacles, including the free weights collection near your pilates mat, meaning no more sweaty spots in your home gym.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of obstacle
Verb
  • Anderson tipped his cap in the third inning after Arozarena made a leaping catch at the left-field wall to take a home run away from Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya.
    — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Moore was hurt pressuring Giants quarterback Jameis Winston and leaping into the air to contest Winston’s throw to the end zone.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of leap
Verb
  • And then, with the game in the balance, Taylor’s two 3-pointers over the Valkyries — against man-to-man defense — was too much to overcome.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • This method could potentially be adapted for industrial manufacturing, but there were still limitations to overcome, with the biggest one being the quality of the material.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of overcome
Noun
  • But even when care is available, stigma can still present a huge barrier.
    — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Beyond removing the psychological and practical barrier of injections, oral formulations are not reliant on syringes or refrigeration and are cheaper to manufacture.
    — Perdita Nouril, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of barrier
Verb
  • Cox Automotive reported subcompact SUV sales jumped more than 23% year over year in June, while small and midsize pickup sales rose about 12%.
    — Beth Livesay, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • According to the report, two additional trespassing cases involved individuals jumping a boundary fence into the airport’s warehouse area.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of jump
Verb
  • With flight sticking to LEO during Artemis III, communication limitations become a lot easier to surmount.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 21 July 2026
  • While wearables were already a hard enough curve to convince people on regarding constant data collection, embedding sensors and ways to collect data inside people’s homes will be an even higher threshold to surmount.
    — Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of surmount
Verb
  • More than 20 players skipped football practice at Contreras in downtown Los Angeles.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The coaching app Runna found that 80% of its users adapt or skip their runs because of hot weather; in America’s Sun Belt, that figure rises to 92%.
    — Nadia Neophytou, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of skip
Verb
  • The British-Argentine actor’s point has less to do with her conflicted con artist cheating death numerous times and besting her mobster in-laws, as well as the FBI.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Wilson and Cothiere bested some qualified competition on the ballot.
    — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of best

Browse Nearby Words

hunt (through)
hurdle
hurdled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hurdle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurdle. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on hurdle

Nglish: Translation of hurdle for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hurdle

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All