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Hurdle vs Stymie - What's the difference?

hurdle | stymie |

As nouns the difference between hurdle and stymie

is that hurdle is an artificial barrier, variously constructed, over which athletes or horses jump in a race while stymie is an obstacle or obstruction.

As verbs the difference between hurdle and stymie

is that hurdle is to jump over something while running while stymie is to thwart or stump; to cause to fail or to leave hopelessly puzzled, confused, or stuck.

hurdle

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • An artificial barrier, variously constructed, over which athletes or horses jump in a race.
  • (senseid)A perceived obstacle.
  • A movable frame of wattled twigs, osiers, or withes and stakes, or sometimes of iron, used for enclosing land, for folding sheep and cattle, for gates, etc.; also, in fortification, used as revetments, and for other purposes.
  • * 1882 , James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England , Volume 4, p. 414.
    • The practice of folding sheep was general, and the purchase of hurdles was a regular charge in the shepherd's account.
  • (UK, obsolete) A sled or crate on which criminals were formerly drawn to the place of execution.
    • (Francis Bacon)
  • (lb)

    • Synonyms

    * See also

    Verb

    (hurdl)
  • To jump over something while running.
    • He hurdled the bench in his rush to get away.
  • To compete in the track and field events of hurdles (e.g. high hurdles).
  • To overcome an obstacle.
  • To hedge, cover, make, or enclose with hurdles.
    • (Milton)
  • (lb)

    • Anagrams

    *

    stymie

    English

    Alternative forms

    * stimy, stymy

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An obstacle or obstruction.
  • (golf) A situation where an opponent's ball is directly in the way of one's own ball and the hole, on the putting green.

    • Verb

    (d)
  • To thwart or stump; to cause to fail or to leave hopelessly puzzled, confused, or stuck.
    • They had lost the key, and the lock stymied the first three locksmiths they called.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2007, date=January 21, author=Joyce Cohen, title=Beauty in the Eye of the Renter, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=I was making such a drama in my head it was stymieing me. }}