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

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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
For rights groups and activists, that is only one of several hurdles to stop the killings. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 Travelers planning to fly in costume this Halloween could face unexpected hurdles at airport security. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
For a teen star like King, the chasm that Malone once had to hurdle between the Petersburg High School varsity team and professional basketball has been replaced by something more like a tricky but continuous series of conveyor belts. — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026 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 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
  • Icy weather, snowstorms, obstructive foliage and rugged terrain along the wild Rockies were just some of the obstacles Ben Nickell and Anne Koski faced on a 10-year journey to climb the highest point in each of Idaho’s 44 counties.
    — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Long before launch, the team faced obstacles that nearly thwarted the endeavor — chiefly, two rejections from NASA — before finally securing the green light for the $1 billion project under the New Frontiers Program in 2011.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of obstacle
Verb
  • Florida State wide receiver Duce Robinson, listed at 6-6, and Miami safety Bryce Fitzgerald, listed at 6-1, leaped for the ball.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Unlike when Florida leaped all the way to September, this version of the Gators might be a touch more sustainable, the product of that defensive jump.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of leap
Verb
  • For now, the study identifies a previously underappreciated part of the immune system that could help overcome one of SCLC’s most persistent defenses.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
  • But Gordon has emerged as Miami’s clear lead back, capable of overcoming a poor situation.
    — Dalton Del Don, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of overcome
Noun
  • There is a flood of creator content available due to a low barrier to entry, and that is now being accelerated by generative AI tools.
    — William Daddi, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Sometimes, the biggest barrier between a patient and their treatment is not pharmacology.
    — Marcela Gottschald, STAT, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of barrier
Verb
  • But while most young people are struggling to land their first opportunity, some have jumped the line by building their own small businesses and startups—and young founders are now ramping up hiring even as companies across industries slow theirs.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Sustained Spanish Boom Spanish premieres at home jumped a record 83% between 2021-2025, from 40 to 73 local fiction premieres.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of jump
Verb
  • To surmount the issue, Apple routed a flexible graphite pipe through the hinge itself to transfer heat between the two halves, thereby increasing the surface area available for heat dissipation.
    — Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Several diplomatic hurdles will need to be surmounted before any recovery effort can take its first steps.
    — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of surmount
Verb
  • Yet when the conversation turns to race, many people skip that step entirely.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Littley and Pittman both suggest skipping the rinse for risotto, noting that the starch helps make the dish creamy.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of skip
Verb
  • Though the Hoosiers bested the Buckeyes in last year’s Big Ten Championship and won the title, Ohio State remains the Big Ten standard.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • As the unsuccessful regime-change effort in Iran demonstrated, there are no shortcuts to besting the axis countries, together or individually.
    — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hurdle

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