obstacle

noun

ob·​sta·​cle ˈäb-sti-kəl How to pronounce obstacle (audio)
-ˌsti-
Synonyms of obstacle
: something that impedes progress or achievement
swerved to avoid an obstacle in the road
Lack of experience proved to be an obstacle in her job search.
… elders … often facing daily medical, social, and psychological obstacles.—Vicki Bloom and B. B. Green-Field

Synonyms of obstacle

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Examples of obstacle in a Sentence

He overcame the obstacles of poverty and neglect. They must overcome a number of obstacles before the restaurant can be opened. Lack of experience is a major obstacle for her opponent. She swerved to avoid an obstacle in the road.
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.
The playset also includes break-apart obstacles such as crushed cars, barrels and split containers that toy vehicles will have to navigate. — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026 Le Pen has already served 15 months of the ban, meaning that the potential obstacle is essentially removed. — Sylvie Corbet, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 In that scenario, an autonomous system could fail to detect a pedestrian, vehicle or obstacle that is physically present. — Melissa Lee,paige Tortorelli,scott Zamost, CNBC, 7 July 2026 What once was an obstacle to allowing others to help, has come under new management, finally allowing the rest of the family to jump in on the action without fear of being micromanaged. — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for obstacle

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin obstaculum, from obstare to stand in front of, from ob- in the way + stare to stand — more at ob-, stand

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of obstacle was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing obstacle

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obsr
obstacle
obstacle course
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Cite this Entry

“Obstacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obstacle. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

obstacle

noun
ob·​sta·​cle ˈäb-sti-kəl How to pronounce obstacle (audio)
: something that stands in the way of progress or achievement : hindrance
drove around the obstacles in the road
didn't let shortness be an obstacle to a basketball career

More from Merriam-Webster on obstacle

Nglish: Translation of obstacle for Spanish Speakers

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