impediment

noun

im-ˈpe-də-mənt How to pronounce impediment (audio)
Definition of impedimentnext
as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult tough going for the burros on the canyon trail, even without the added impediment of heavy loads

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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 impediment Yellowjackets has proven that being dead is no impediment to returning. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Aug. 2026 Preconceptions, assumptions, and advance knowledge in the viewing public are regarded as impediments to the capacity of the tale to surprise, startle, or transport. — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026 In listing their roster for the late-August window of World Cup qualifying, Greek’s federation made clear there were no NBA impediments. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2026 That was an impediment to the kind of study the researchers planned to conduct. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for impediment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impediment
  1. obstacle
  2. hurdle
  3. obstruction
  4. embarrassment
  5. barrier
Noun
  • Both benefit from improved navigation, apparently able to avoid cables and other obstacles as small as 2mm in size, as well as transparent objects like mirrors or glass.
    — Dominic Preston, The Verge, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The 340-pound ball is just soft enough to bounce lightly over bumpy obstacles, but its slight overpressure keeps it relatively firm.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of obstacle
Noun
  • But Oxley, writing in a commentary, cautioned that there are logistical hurdles and said the value of Venezuela’s reserves may have been exaggerated under former President Hugo Chavez.
    — Collin Binkley, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Secondly, insurance and safety inspections remain critical hurdles.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of hurdle
Noun
  • Investigators accused him of obstruction of justice, unlawful contracting and, among other things, claiming $127,630 in expenses linked to fictitious missions and plane tickets for nearly a dozen trips.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The prosecutor, Matthew Evans, was fired on Thursday and is now under investigation for alleged obstruction of a grand jury probe, the person said.
    — Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of obstruction
Noun
  • He’s particularly drawn to episodes that are discomforting for his countrymen—the Dreyfus Affair, and, a recent obsession, French accommodation in Nazi rule during the Occupation, a national embarrassment that was long passed over in silence.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Just the latest embarrassment from the worst president in any of our lifetimes.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of embarrassment
Noun
  • The two sides were also in touch on monitoring a barrier lake that risks flooding and imperiling rescue workers.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The lab behind the glass barrier is a laboratory automation installation, built around a conveyor system.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of barrier

Browse Nearby Words

impedes
impediment
impedimenta
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Cite this Entry

“Impediment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impediment. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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