stumbling block

SEE SYNONYMS FOR stumbling block ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an obstacle or hindrance to progress, belief, or understanding.

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advocate
to give up possession or occupancy of.
to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly.
to pronounce or decree by judicial sentence.
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Origin of stumbling block

First recorded in 1580–90

Words nearby stumbling block

stultify, stum, stumble, stumble across, stumblebum, stumbling block, stumer, stump, stump bed, stump cancer, stump farm
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to stumbling block

complication, barrier, handicap, obstacle, setback, snag, difficulty, drawback, hurdle, hindrance, impediment, deterrent, hitch, catch-22, barricade, blockage, catch, clog, delay, discouragement

Example sentences from the Web for stumbling block

British Dictionary definitions for stumbling block

stumbling block

noun

any impediment or obstacle
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with stumbling block

stumbling block

A hindrance or obstacle, as in His lack of a degree is a real stumbling block to his advancement. This term originally meant “a tree stump over which one trips.” Its figurative use dates from the early 1500s.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.