the hurdles

plural noun

: a race in which runners must jump over a series of barriers (called hurdles)
He won a medal in the high hurdles.
The hurdles is his best event.

Examples of the hurdles in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
On the hurdles people seeking food assistance face Food assistance should not be a program for low-income, at-risk Americans who might not be able to eat enough, who are also good at paperwork. — Tonya Mosley, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026 Others tripped over the hurdles on the track, knocking over almost every one. — Matt Viser, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026 Every child deserves a real shot and a real way to clear the hurdles between them and a job or a college degree. — Sen. Doug McCrory, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026 While condos still outsell prewar co-ops in this price tier by a wide margin, the developing trend is the most interesting, especially given the hurdles co-op buyers need to jump. — John Walkup, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the hurdles

Rhymes for the hurdles

See All Rhymes for the hurdles

Browse Nearby Words

the hump
the hurdles
the hustings
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The hurdles.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20hurdles. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

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

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All