Illustration of hurdle
- hurdle 2a
1
a
: a portable panel usually of wattled withes and stakes used especially for enclosing land or livestock
b
: a frame or sled formerly used in England for dragging traitors to execution
2
a
: an artificial barrier over which racers must leap
knocked over a hurdle
b
hurdles plural, track and field
: any of various events in which racers must jump over a series of hurdles
won a medal in the high hurdles
The hurdles is his best event.
hurdled; hurdling
ˈhərd-liŋ 
ˈhər-dᵊl-iŋ
1
: to leap over especially while running (as in a sporting competition)
hurdling an obstacle in a steeplechase
Did you know?
Hurdle vs. Hurtle
Indistinguishable in speech, the words hurtle and hurdle can be a confusing pair.
Hurtle is a verb with two meanings: "to move rapidly or forcefully," as in "The stone was hurtling through the air," and "to hurl or fling," as in "I hurtled the stone into the air." Note that the first use is intransitive: the stone isn't hurtling anything; it itself is simply hurtling. The second use is transitive: something was hurtled—in this case, a stone.
Hurdle is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, its most common meanings have to do with barriers: the ones that runners leap over, and the metaphorical extension of these, the figurative barriers and obstacles we try to similarly overcome. The verb hurdle has two meanings, and they are directly related to these. It can mean "to leap over especially while running," as in "She hurdled the fence," and it can mean "to overcome or surmount," as in "They've had to hurdle significant financial obstacles." The verb hurdle is always transitive; that is, there's always a thing being hurdled, whether it be a physical obstacle or a metaphorical one.
Synonyms
Examples of hurdle in a Sentence
Noun
He won a medal in the high hurdles.
The company faces severe financial hurdles this year.
Verb
The horse hurdled the fence.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Indianapolis Star, 25 Apr. 2024
The rule would not affect state environmental reviews, which can sometimes be an even bigger hurdle to transmission developers who are facing complaints and lawsuits over spoiled views and damage to ecosystems.
—Brad Plumer, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2024
The requirements add an extra step and expense for travelers, but they’re not meant to be a hurdle.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
Just as gas stations were necessary to make the highway system usable, electric charging stations are a key hurdle to wider EV adoption.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2024
Beyoncé and Nashville’s Renaissance, out April 26 on MAX, will dive even deeper into the issues and hurdles Black artists have long faced in the genre.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2024
So clearly this is a higher hurdle than my instinct tells me.
—Quartz Staff, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
All three lead the state in their event and Cathedral’s Catholic’s Vince Atilano, the boys’ 300-meter hurdle front-runner, opted to compete in the 400-meter hurdles and finished second in 53.63, just as El Capitan’s Jonathan Tseko-Biffle was runner-up in the 300s at 37.77.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
Once those hurdles are cleared, however, a simple majority is needed to send the FISA reauthorization bill to the White House.
—Dell Cameron, WIRED, 16 Apr. 2024
Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Mar. 2024
Cruz bites into the role with a visceral ferocity — her grief, her cunning, her intelligence, her jealousy, and her desire hurdling out of her with the volume turned all the way up.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2023
To frame him solely as a rebounder, though, would shortchange a more complete player who vice-gripped the program’s scoring title until Brandon Heath hurdled him 27 years later.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2024
South Korean content continues to successfully hurdle the language barrier, with K-dramas consistently proving their stateside appeal.
—TIME, 6 Feb. 2024
With an anti-corruption candidate’s win, celebrations are tempered by uncertainty over what hurdles to democracy could emerge next.
—Sandra Cuffe, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 2023
Martin hurdled one defender before getting waylaid.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
Here's why More: Pelosi disputes calls for Sen. Feinstein to resign But such a move requires 60 votes to hurdle a filibuster which means at least 10 Republican senators would have to agree.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2023
Since then, the closure has at times created standstill congestion around Logan International Airport and hurdled rush hour commutes from East Boston and parts north into downtown Boston.
—Daniel Kool, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2023
Noun
Making the technology possible for highways and heavy-duty trucks, however, is a first — and an unusual hurdle.
—The Indianapolis Star, 25 Apr. 2024
The rule would not affect state environmental reviews, which can sometimes be an even bigger hurdle to transmission developers who are facing complaints and lawsuits over spoiled views and damage to ecosystems.
—Brad Plumer, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2024
The requirements add an extra step and expense for travelers, but they’re not meant to be a hurdle.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
Just as gas stations were necessary to make the highway system usable, electric charging stations are a key hurdle to wider EV adoption.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2024
Beyoncé and Nashville’s Renaissance, out April 26 on MAX, will dive even deeper into the issues and hurdles Black artists have long faced in the genre.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2024
So clearly this is a higher hurdle than my instinct tells me.
—Quartz Staff, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
All three lead the state in their event and Cathedral’s Catholic’s Vince Atilano, the boys’ 300-meter hurdle front-runner, opted to compete in the 400-meter hurdles and finished second in 53.63, just as El Capitan’s Jonathan Tseko-Biffle was runner-up in the 300s at 37.77.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
Once those hurdles are cleared, however, a simple majority is needed to send the FISA reauthorization bill to the White House.
—Dell Cameron, WIRED, 16 Apr. 2024
Verb
Recommended The liberal-nationalist New People party surprised everyone in the last parliamentary election by hurdling the 5% barrier to gain representation in the Duma.
—Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Mar. 2024
Cruz bites into the role with a visceral ferocity — her grief, her cunning, her intelligence, her jealousy, and her desire hurdling out of her with the volume turned all the way up.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2023
To frame him solely as a rebounder, though, would shortchange a more complete player who vice-gripped the program’s scoring title until Brandon Heath hurdled him 27 years later.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2024
South Korean content continues to successfully hurdle the language barrier, with K-dramas consistently proving their stateside appeal.
—TIME, 6 Feb. 2024
With an anti-corruption candidate’s win, celebrations are tempered by uncertainty over what hurdles to democracy could emerge next.
—Sandra Cuffe, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 2023
Martin hurdled one defender before getting waylaid.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
Here's why More: Pelosi disputes calls for Sen. Feinstein to resign But such a move requires 60 votes to hurdle a filibuster which means at least 10 Republican senators would have to agree.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2023
Since then, the closure has at times created standstill congestion around Logan International Airport and hurdled rush hour commutes from East Boston and parts north into downtown Boston.
—Daniel Kool, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hurdle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to hurdle
Dictionary Entries Near hurdle
Cite this Entry
“Hurdle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hurdle. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hurdle
2 of 2 verb
hurdled; hurdling
ˈhərd-liŋ
-ᵊl-iŋ
1
: to leap over while running
the horse hurdled the fence
2
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share