despite the challenge

USAGE SUMMARY

"despite the challenge" is a perfectly acceptable part of a sentence in written English.
You can use it when referring to the challenge of an obstacle or difficulty that someone is facing. For example: "Despite the challenge of finding a new job, she was determined to make the best of her situation."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

And despite the challenge before him, he's excited.

The New York Times

Despite the challenge, an unlikely win could see City take first in a very winnable East.

The Guardian - Sport

Despite the challenge, Bush went on to win the Republican nomination, though his candidacy was wounded.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Progress toward this goal after 1950 was rapid, despite the challenge of an annual population growth rate around 2.3 percent.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The reunion idea stood out, despite the challenge of getting the actors in the same room at the same time.

The New York Times

Despite the challenge that achieving these goals by 2025 poses, it demonstrates Nepal is committed to addressing the country's hunger problems.

The Guardian

Despite the challenge from inside the country, there is a network of expert North Korea watchers tweeting about everything from culture to politics.

The Guardian

"Centrica has delivered a resilient financial performance, with solid 2015 adjusted earnings despite the challenge of falling wholesale oil and gas prices," he said.

The Guardian - Business

Among total viewers, CBS stood atop the ratings mountain on Monday night, despite the challenge presented by Part 1 of ABC's mini-series "The Ten Commandments".

The New York Times

It was part of CBS's overall Monday win in total viewers and adults 18 to 49, despite the challenge presented by Fox's new Monday lineup.

The New York Times

Despite the challenge there was never any moment where I thought there was going to be anything other than us working through it.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "despite the challenge" to acknowledge an obstacle without letting it overshadow the main point of your sentence. It adds nuance and shows awareness of potential difficulties.

Common error

Avoid using "but" after "despite the challenge". "Despite" already implies a contrast, so adding "but" creates redundancy. For example, write "Despite the challenge, they succeeded" not "Despite the challenge, but they succeeded".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "despite the challenge" functions as a prepositional phrase introducing a contrasting element. It sets up a situation where one might expect a negative outcome due to an obstacle, but the subsequent part of the sentence reveals that the obstacle was overcome or did not prevent a particular result. This is confirmed by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Science

36%

Encyclopedias

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "despite the challenge" is a grammatically sound and frequently used prepositional phrase that acknowledges an obstacle while highlighting the achievement of a goal or the occurrence of an event. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage. It is commonly employed in news, scientific, and encyclopedic contexts to add nuance and realism, indicating that something positive occurred even in the face of difficulty. To avoid redundancy, it's best not to follow it with "but". Alternatives include "in spite of the difficulty" and "notwithstanding the obstacle". Its widespread use across authoritative sources like The New York Times and The Guardian underscores its reliability and acceptance in formal and informal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

notwithstanding the obstacle

Uses a more formal term "notwithstanding" to convey the same meaning.

in spite of the difficulty

Replaces "challenge" with "difficulty" maintaining a similar level of formality.

even with the adversity

Substitutes "challenge" with "adversity", adding a slightly stronger sense of hardship.

regardless of the hurdle

Employs "hurdle" as a more metaphorical representation of a challenge.

challenges notwithstanding

Uses a more concise phrasing highlighting the existence of but overriding impact of challenges.

yet the difficulty persists

Highlights the ongoing nature of the difficulty while still implying progress.

although faced with difficulties

Introduces a clause emphasizing the presence of difficulties before the main statement.

even though there was a challenge

Expands the phrase into a full clause, stating the existence of the challenge more explicitly.

the difficulty notwithstanding

Places the acknowledgement of difficulty in a subordinate position, emphasizing the main action.

with the difficulty present

Simply states the difficulty while focusing on the actions taken regardless.

FAQs

How can I use "despite the challenge" in a sentence?

Use "despite the challenge" to acknowledge an obstacle or difficulty that exists, but does not prevent a particular outcome. For example, "Despite the challenge, the project was completed on time".

What are some alternatives to "despite the challenge"?

You can use phrases like "in spite of the difficulty", "notwithstanding the obstacle", or "even with the adversity" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it correct to say "despite the challenge, but..."?

No, using "but" after "despite the challenge" is redundant. "Despite" already implies a contrast. A correct sentence would be, "Despite the challenge, they persevered".

How does "despite the challenge" differ from "because of the challenge"?

"Despite the challenge" indicates that something positive happened even though a challenge existed. "Because of the challenge" implies that the challenge caused something to happen. They have opposite meanings.