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
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Recent Examples of impediment
There is no problem in America that will be solved by fewer impediments to mob rule.
—
Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Technology that initially seemed like an asset may in fact be an impediment.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026
To humanity’s great thinkers and leaders, gambling was an impediment to an ethical life (Aristotle), an invention of the devil (Saint Augustine), and a tax on the ignorant (Warren Buffett).
—Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
Wind shear, which occurs when winds blow at different speeds and/or directions with height, acts as an impediment to fledgling tropical storms and hurricanes.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impediment
Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Technology that initially seemed like an asset may in fact be an impediment.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026
To humanity’s great thinkers and leaders, gambling was an impediment to an ethical life (Aristotle), an invention of the devil (Saint Augustine), and a tax on the ignorant (Warren Buffett).
—Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
Wind shear, which occurs when winds blow at different speeds and/or directions with height, acts as an impediment to fledgling tropical storms and hurricanes.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impediment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impediment
Noun
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The system continuously maps nearby activity, such as detecting pedestrians, vehicles, and unexpected obstacles.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
-
And that really is a huge obstacle for the Chinese now.—
Jamie Lincoln Kitman,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The biggest hurdles have been the logistics of assembling the designs in conjunction with partners WhiteWater West, which helped design Royal Caribbean’s water park as well.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
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But for now, many families still face legal hurdles even in places where polyamory is becoming widely accepted.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The 13-year-old from Long Island, New York, had been born with ureterovesical junction obstruction, a rare congenital disease, where a blockage between the ureter and bladder causes urine to back up into the kidney.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
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According to police, necropsy results for both of the dead dogs revealed a cylindrical obstruction, resembling a corn cob, as well as a black substance consistent with bedding material.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Well, the new strike zone and the obvious embarrassment of having a call overturned has changed how umpires call balls and strikes.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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For the annual dinner to occur at the White House itself would be a huge—okay, an even huger—embarrassment and conflict of interest.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Researchers in China have developed a new catalyst that helped a lithium-sulfur battery retain 93 percent of its capacity after 600 charge-discharge cycles, a step that could address one of the biggest barriers to commercializing the high-energy battery chemistry.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
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Three days after distance runner Sabastian Sawe became the first man to break the two-hour barrier in the marathon, his outfitter, Adidas, was still taking a victory lap.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impediment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impediment. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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