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Glite Dictionary
last hurdle

last hurdle

2 4.0
The final difficulty you must get past before you finish something
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : último obstáculo
  • People are dying because people can't clear this one last hurdle.
  • clearing the last hurdle
  • get over that last hurdle

So maybe the last hurdle will be the, the manager change.

Examples

  • Eighth grade angst and confusion will be avoided; career eighth graders will be given a face-saving way out, and career seventh graders a boost to get over that last hurdle.

    Academic text (2008)

  • He had cleared his last hurdle, and his life was officially off deferment at the age of 32.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • So maybe the last hurdle will be the, the manager change.

    High Performance

  • I felt that now was the time for the last hurdle.

    Academic text (2003)

  • It's fun to think that I'm one of the first people ever to do this on American roads, but there was still one last hurdle to clear before I got home.

  • They're safely over the last hurdle.

    Dream Horse (2021)

  • One last hurdle separates you from your goal - which is to join our esteemed ranks.

    Exam (2009)

  • As I get closer to the park where the walkway onto the beach starts, I enjoy a view of the approaching trees and sand dunes that rise up, like a last hurdle to surpass in order to reach the sea.

    Blog text (31)

  • The last hurdle to unlocking the 130 billion Euro aid package and avoiding a disorderly default is the successful completion of the private sector involvement (PSI) debt swap program.

    Blog text (32)

  • The final project presentation was my last hurdle before graduating from university.

Synonyms

obstacle
vslast hurdle
343 3.4

A thing or problem that makes it hard to reach a goal

is the last difficulty specifically occurring at the end of the process
barrier
vslast hurdle
309 3.7

Something that stops or makes it hard to make progress

is the specific final difficulty rather than any general blocking condition
hurdle
vslast hurdle
88 3.8

An obstacle or problem you must overcome

is the final difficulty faced just before success
roadblock
vslast hurdle
50 3.9

A problem that stops progress or makes a goal hard to reach

is the final difficulty encountered before completing a task
stumbling block
vslast hurdle
18 4.4

A problem that stops progress or makes moving forward difficult

is the final difficulty that remains before achieving the goal

Antonyms

first hurdle
4 4.1

The first problem you must solve to start a task

clear sailing
  • Informal
2 3.5

A time when things move forward easily and without problems

Surface Forms

last hurdle singular
last hurdles plural

Morphology

last + hurdle

The meaning 'the final obstacle' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'last' (coming at the end) with 'hurdle' (a barrier or difficulty). This adjective+noun composition follows a regular, cross-linguistically common metaphor of physical obstacles used for difficulties, so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Last hurdle may come from hurdle races, where runners jump several low fences and the very last hurdle is the final jump before the finish. That's why last hurdle now means 'the final obstacle' you must overcome to succeed.