obstacle course
Americannoun
-
a military training area having obstacles, as hurdles, ditches, and walls, that must be surmounted or crossed in succession.
-
Informal. an event, situation, course of action, or the like that presents many challenges or difficulties.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The logistical obstacle course they would need to navigate for the evacuation included soothing jumpy horses, scrambling for last-minute cargo flights and navigating Belgian bureaucracy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026
But for the 35 residents of Kapisillit, getting to that care is an obstacle course.
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026
Challenge him to produce a good time in an obstacle course, no problem.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026
Your RMDs are a years-long tax-related obstacle course.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 18, 2025
For a second, I think maybe Lara will be so focused on completing the obstacle course that she might leave me alone, but then she turns to face me with that little grin of hers.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
