wall
- noun
- /wɔl/
- We need to get you through the walls, so that you can open the door.
- hit a wall
- break down the walls
- invisible walls
He's breaking down the walls now with this we have.
- He's breaking down the walls now with this we have.
- This is about the time when your jet lag hits a wall, right?
- Like I have like this wall of Britishness up.
- So as soon as I did hit that wall, I broke it right down.
- It's like building a wall between you and your heart.
- And in between is this huge invisible wall that we call Sheehan's wall.
- That didn't build a wall that built built bridges.
- But then you hit that that wall of why?
- But he can't win that battle because your wall was created from your past Hertz.
Examples
-
Many employees feel that the lack of communication is a wall that prevents teamwork and collaboration.
-
It's like a wall between us.
-
If there is no wall, there is no deal.
-
It's like building a wall between you and your heart.
-
When she tried to think, she came to a wall that stopped her mind.
Fiction book (1990) -
When you hit a brick wall, knock it down.
-
Even with all of this history, it's like there's an invisible wall around the college.
Academic text (2017) -
We've got our backs to the wall.
-
When the negotiations stalled, it felt like we had hit a wall that made further progress impossible.
-
The constant misunderstandings have created a wall between friends who used to be close.
Synonyms
A thing or problem that makes it hard to reach a goal
Something that stops or slows progress and makes a task hard
A thing that blocks movement or keeps places apart
A layer that blocks sight or hides information
A problem that stops progress or makes a goal hard to reach
A problem you cannot get past
A problem that stops progress or makes moving forward difficult
Difficulty communicating because people do not share a common language
A group's choice to stay silent to protect members from blame
A rule to keep people in different teams from sharing secret information to avoid conflicts of interest
Something that stops a project or work from moving forward
An obstacle to talking and working together because people have different beliefs or values
Antonyms
Idioms
- Offensive
Do something with as much speed and effort as possible, without holding back
- Informal
In a situation with very few choices where you must try hard to survive or win
To try many times to do something without success and feel frustrated
To decide to start something difficult and not change your mind
Try many different ideas to find one that works
Compounds
- Literature
The US financial industry, especially banks and investment firms in New York
- Specialized
A hard layer around the cells of plants, fungi, and some bacteria that gives support and protection
A small hidden restaurant or cafe that looks simple but serves very good food
- Specialized
The muscles and tissue at the front and sides of the belly that protect internal organs
- Jargon
An unwritten rule among police officers not to report a colleague's illegal actions to protect them from punishment
- Archaic
A holy stone wall in Jerusalem where Jewish people pray and put written prayers
- Jargon
A rule to keep people in different teams from sharing secret information to avoid conflicts of interest
A long stone wall built by the Romans in northern England to mark their northern border
- Specialized
A wall with two layers and a space between them to keep heat in and water out
A fern that grows on rocks or walls in shady places in North America and East Asia
A Roman wall across central Scotland that marks the northern border of Roman Britain
- Specialized
A part of a theatre that separates the stage from the audience and holds the stage opening
- Specialized
A circular strong wall built under a heavy structure to support its weight
A small plant with narrow leaves and tiny pink flowers that grows in cracks in walls
A plant that lives for two years or less and has groups of bright orange-yellow flowers at stem ends
- UK
A small wild grass that grows like a weed along roads and walls, with bristly seed heads
- Specialized
An electronic device fixed to a wall that controls lights, heating, or security
- Specialized
A small plant with long leaves and tiny pink flowers that grows in cracks on old walls and rocks
- UK
A small plant that grows along the ground or walls with thick leaves and bright yellow flowers
- US
A large camping shelter with four straight cloth walls that gives more room inside than a normal tent
How Obstructive
Surface Forms
Etymology
Wall comes from the old English weall and Latin vallum, words for a strong 'rampart' or barrier. So when we say someone has hit a wall, we mean they have met a hard obstacle that stops progress.