surmount a difficulty

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "surmount a difficulty" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing overcoming challenges or obstacles in various contexts, such as personal growth, problem-solving, or achieving goals. Example: "Despite the many setbacks, she was determined to surmount the difficulty and complete her project on time."

✓ Grammatically correct

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

He told McClellan, by "going down the bay in search of a field, instead of fighting near Manassas you are only shifting, and not surmounting, a difficulty".

The New York Times

It also seems that any process that requires the mind "to exert its activity, and put forth its strength, in order to surmount any difficulty," is naturally pleasurable, as is the mind's consciousness of its success in surmounting any difficulty (Gerard 1759, 3).

SEP

To surmount this difficulty, an optimization procedure consisting of constrained minimization of the total protein consumption by the CS was designed.

Mathematical Biosciences

"Be resolute, fear no sacrifice, and surmount every difficulty to win victory!" read one famous counsel.

The Guardian

The recent TMCs surmount this difficulty through the introduction of the third underlying process U as stated in the previous section.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

An algorithm FDBS (fast direct Biot Savart integration) is proposed to surmount this difficulty, which improves the traditional method (DBS, direct implementing Biot Savart law for all strand sources) in terms of computational effort.

Fusion Engineering and Design

Immediately a difficulty emerges.

SEP

In order to surmount this difficulty, the toolbox integrates several metaheuristics (Egea et al., 2007), clustering methods (Csendes et al., 2008) and sequential hybrids (Balsa-Canto et al., 2005, 2008b), which combine different mechanisms of global exploration of the search space with the use of local methods to enhance computational efficiency.

Bioinformatics

In order to surmount this difficulty, hybrid methods and metaheuristics that have been recently developed which combine global stochastic methods with local gradient based methods in two phases [ 47] or in several phases as in the scatter search based method eSS [ 23, 48].

BMC Systems Biology

Select a difficulty level.

WikiHow

Hearing one of Bach's sonatas or partitas for unaccompanied violin in a recital is usually a treat, if the violinist has the technique and imagination to surmount its difficulties and give it a richly characterized performance.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "surmount a difficulty" when you want to emphasize overcoming a significant obstacle through effort and skill. It conveys a sense of achievement and resilience.

Common error

While "surmount a difficulty" is grammatically sound, avoid using it excessively in informal contexts. Overusing formal vocabulary can make your writing sound unnatural or pretentious. Choose simpler alternatives like "overcome" or "get past" for everyday conversations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "surmount a difficulty" functions as a verbal phrase, indicating the action of overcoming an obstacle. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct, though direct examples are limited, indicating that its frequency might be lower than other similar phrases.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "surmount a difficulty" is grammatically correct and denotes the act of successfully overcoming a challenging situation. While Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical validity, it also points out a scarcity of direct examples. Semantically related phrases include "overcome a challenge", "conquer an obstacle", and "tackle a problem", offering alternative ways to express similar ideas. The phrase tends to be more formal and should be used judiciously in informal contexts to avoid sounding pretentious.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Overcome a challenge

Replaces "difficulty" with the more general term "challenge".

Conquer an obstacle

Uses a more forceful verb, "conquer", suggesting a greater level of effort and determination.

Tackle a problem

Implies a more direct and hands-on approach to addressing the issue.

Resolve an issue

Focuses on finding a solution and bringing the difficulty to an end.

Get over a hurdle

Uses a more informal and idiomatic expression.

Navigate a difficulty

Suggests careful maneuvering and strategic planning to overcome the difficulty.

Circumvent a problem

Implies avoiding the difficulty altogether, rather than directly confronting it.

Rise above a challenge

Emphasizes resilience and personal growth in the face of adversity.

Address a difficulty

A more formal and neutral way of saying to deal with a difficulty

Find a way around a difficulty

Focuses on discovering an alternative path or method to bypass the difficulty.

FAQs

How can I use "surmount a difficulty" in a sentence?

You can use "surmount a difficulty" to describe overcoming a specific obstacle. For example, "She managed to surmount the difficulty with her innovative solution".

What can I say instead of "surmount a difficulty"?

You can use alternatives like "overcome a challenge", "conquer an obstacle", or "tackle a problem" depending on the context.

Is it more appropriate to say "surmount a difficulty" or "overcome a difficulty"?

"Surmount a difficulty" is more formal and emphasizes skill and effort, while "overcome a difficulty" is more general and implies simply getting past the problem.

When is it best to use "surmount a difficulty" in writing?

Use "surmount a difficulty" in formal writing or when you want to convey a sense of significant achievement and resilience in overcoming a challenging obstacle. For less formal contexts, consider alternatives like "overcome" or "get past".