obstacle course

American  

noun

• obstacle courses
  plural

1. a military training area having obstacles, as hurdles, ditches, and walls, that must be surmounted or crossed in succession.

2. Informal. an event, situation, course of action, or the like that presents many challenges or difficulties.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• obstacle courses
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

obstacle course

Yuriy, a senior instructor who led one of the squads across the gruelling obstacle course, has at times pondered the necessity of such trials given the nature of drone warfare.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

For much of my life, walking in Indian cities has felt less like exercising a right than negotiating an obstacle course.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Pitnick describes fertilization as an obstacle course rather than a straightforward race.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026

But by making the art of comedy its vehicle and having two women steer through the industry’s obstacle course, “Hacks” became a celebration of blasting through hurdles.

From Salon ● May 29, 2026

But sometimes—not every night—during the week, Mrs. Brisbane would take me home to see Mr. Brisbane and he’d put up his obstacle course and we’d laugh and squeak and have a wonderful time.

From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney