confront an obstacle

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "confront an obstacle" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing challenges or difficulties that someone faces and how they deal with them. Example: "In her journey to success, she had to confront an obstacle that tested her determination."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

He has what could be called a peripatetic mind and, like any good performer, he uses it to keep you on the edge of your seat, not asking inconvenient questions, and also, perhaps, to impress himself when he's about to confront an obstacle in his path.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Having now fought off the perceptions that he was either relentlessly downbeat or a one-trick pony, Iñárritu will now confront a different obstacle — himself, as new movies are inevitably compared to "Birdman" and its outsized success.

Los Angeles Times

If they learn this one skill, they will have a great foundation for confronting any obstacle that they encounter along the way.

Huffington Post

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook on Friday confronted a new obstacle over what to do with one of its most vital assets — pictures.

The New York Times - Tech

The testimony of people like Rabbi Hertzberg is significant because anyone trying to understand the achievement of Chabad confronts a serious obstacle: the enormous reverence surrounding the rebbe.

The New York Times

The author, who has been working with silent children for 15 years, follows the progress of six of them, each confronting a different obstacle.

The New York Times - Health

Page A15 SANTORUM PRESSURED TO QUIT Rick Santorum is confronting a daunting obstacle: a rising chorus of Republicans calling for the presidential contest to end so the party can turn its full attention to defeating President Obama.

The New York Times

Resilient people tend to have well-developed self-efficacy and, when confronted with an obstacle, will see it as a hurdle to overcome rather than an insurmountable problem.

Arthritis Research and Therapy

"As long as I am mayor," he said, "I will never back away from fighting any opponent -- or confronting any obstacle -- that would prevent our people from achieving all of their dreams in our New York".

The New York Times

He will immediately confront a host of institutional obstacles that could impede his progress in rebuilding an archdiocese shattered by last year's disclosures that its leaders had permitted a generation of sexually abusive priests to molest young people.

The New York Times

Some of the obstacles that confront a second-term Obama are structural.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "confront an obstacle", ensure the context clearly indicates the nature of the obstacle and the active approach taken to address it.

Common error

Instead of saying "an obstacle was confronted", use the active voice: "they confronted an obstacle". This makes the writing more direct and impactful.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "confront an obstacle" functions as a verb phrase, where 'confront' is the verb indicating the action of facing something, and 'an obstacle' is the object of the verb, representing the challenge or difficulty being faced. As indicated by Ludwig AI, this phrase is grammatically sound and usable in English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "confront an obstacle" is a grammatically correct and usable expression that describes the act of directly facing a challenge or difficulty. While relatively rare in occurrence, as indicated by Ludwig, it finds its usage across various contexts, including news, science, and formal business settings. It conveys a sense of proactive engagement with problems. Alternatives such as "face a challenge" or "tackle a hurdle" can be used to express similar meanings. When employing this phrase, it's advisable to use the active voice to maintain a clear and impactful writing style.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

face a challenge

Focuses on the act of facing something difficult.

tackle a hurdle

Implies actively addressing and overcoming a barrier.

meet a difficulty

Highlights the experience of encountering a problem.

deal with an impediment

Emphasizes managing or handling a hindrance.

address a setback

Focuses on responding to a negative event or reversal.

grapple with a problem

Suggests a struggle in trying to overcome an issue.

contend with an adversity

Highlights facing a difficult or unpleasant situation.

encounter a stumbling block

Implies running into something that impedes progress.

take on an obstruction

Suggests actively engaging with something blocking progress.

manage a complication

Focuses on the need to control a challenging situation.

FAQs

What does "confront an obstacle" mean?

To "confront an obstacle" means to face a challenge or difficulty directly and actively, often with the intention of overcoming it.

How can I use "confront an obstacle" in a sentence?

You can use "confront an obstacle" to describe how someone deals with a problem. For example: "In her journey to success, she had to confront an obstacle that tested her determination".

What are some alternatives to "confront an obstacle"?

You can use alternatives like "face a challenge", "tackle a hurdle", or "meet a difficulty", depending on the context.

Is it better to say "confront an obstacle" or "overcome an obstacle"?

Both phrases are correct, but they have slightly different nuances. "Confront an obstacle" focuses on the act of facing the difficulty, while "overcome an obstacle" emphasizes successfully dealing with and surpassing it.