Ask Difference

Huddle vs. Hurdle — What's the Difference?

By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 7, 2023
A huddle is a gathering or clustering together, often for discussion or warmth, while a hurdle is an obstacle or difficulty to be overcome.
Huddle vs. Hurdle — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Huddle and Hurdle

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Key Differences

A huddle is a physical gathering of people in a closely packed group. Typically, this occurs in sports when a team groups together to discuss strategies. Conversely, a hurdle refers to an obstacle or barrier, either physical, such as a barrier in a track race, or metaphorical, as in a challenge to be overcome in life or business. The act of huddling implies collaboration and unity, while hurdling suggests overcoming challenges and obstacles.
In the context of a meeting or a brainstorming session, participants might form a huddle, clustering together to exchange ideas or provide mutual support. On the other hand, during the course of the meeting, they may encounter hurdles, which are difficulties or challenges that need to be addressed and overcome for the success of their objectives. Huddles are about closeness and sharing, while hurdles are about challenges that require effort to overcome.
During cold weather, you might see people huddling together for warmth, which is a form of intimate physical proximity. Hurdles have no such connotation of warmth or intimacy; they represent a challenge that must be jumped over or navigated, such as a high barrier on a track field or a difficult phase in a project.
In an office environment, a team may huddle at the beginning of the day to discuss daily goals. If there are significant obstacles that make it difficult to achieve these goals, such as technical issues or tight deadlines, these are referred to as hurdles. Huddles are meant to align a team, while hurdles are the issues they anticipate or encounter that could hinder their progress.
During a football game, the team's huddle is a crucial part of their tactical discussions. In the same game, players might metaphorically face hurdles, such as a strong defense, that they must strategically overcome to score. Thus, huddles and hurdles both play a role in strategy – the former for planning and the latter for the challenges that require direct action.
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Comparison Chart

Part of Speech

Noun and Verb
Noun and Verb

Definition

A gathering; to crowd together
An obstacle; to leap over obstacles

Usage

Social and strategic settings
Athletic and metaphorical contexts

Connotation

Teamwork and intimacy
Challenge and difficulty

Origin

Middle English "huddle"
Old English "hyrdel"

Compare with Definitions

Huddle

A private or secret meeting
The committee had a quick huddle before the vote.

Hurdle

An obstacle in a race
The runner cleared the final hurdle with ease.

Huddle

A closely packed group
Penguins huddle together for warmth.

Hurdle

A difficulty to be overcome
Finding funding was the biggest hurdle for the startup.

Huddle

A brainstorming session
The design team held a huddle to come up with new ideas.

Hurdle

A barrier to progress
A lack of experience can be a hurdle in job hunting.

Huddle

In sport, a huddle is an action of a team gathering together, usually in a tight circle, to strategize, motivate or celebrate. It is a popular strategy for keeping opponents insulated from sensitive information, and acts as a form of insulation when the level of noise in the venue is such that normal on-field communication is difficult.

Hurdle

To overcome challenges
They had to hurdle many bureaucratic obstacles to get the project approved.

Huddle

A densely packed group or crowd, as of people or animals.

Hurdle

A hurdle (UK English, limited US English) is a moveable section of light fence. In the United States, terms such as "panel", "pipe panel" or simply "fence section" are used to describe moveable sections of fencing intended for agricultural use and crowd control; "hurdle" refers primarily to fences used as jumping obstacles for steeplechasing with horses or human track and field competition.

Huddle

(Football) A brief gathering of a team's players behind the line of scrimmage to receive instructions for the next play.

Hurdle

One of a series of upright frames over which athletes in a race must jump
A hurdle race

Huddle

A small private conference or meeting.

Hurdle

A problem or difficulty that must be overcome
Many would like to emigrate to the United States, but face formidable hurdles

Huddle

To crowd together, as from cold or fear.

Hurdle

A portable rectangular frame strengthened with withies or wooden bars, used as a temporary fence.

Huddle

To draw or curl one's limbs close to one's body
Huddled under the blanket while watching television.

Hurdle

Take part in a hurdle race
This gelding hurdled fluently
She took up hurdling

Huddle

(Football) To gather in a huddle.

Hurdle

Enclose or fence off with hurdles
A maze of individual hurdled pens

Huddle

(Informal) To gather together for conference or consultation
During the crisis, the president's national security advisers huddled.

Hurdle

A light portable barrier over which competitors must leap in certain races.

Huddle

To cause to crowd together.

Hurdle

Hurdles A race in which a series of such barriers must be jumped without the competitors' breaking their stride.

Huddle

To draw (oneself) together in a crouch.

Hurdle

A leaping step made off one foot as means of maximizing spring at the end of an approach, as to a dive.

Huddle

Chiefly British To arrange, do, or make hastily or carelessly.

Hurdle

An obstacle or difficulty to be overcome
The last hurdle before graduation.

Huddle

A dense and disorderly crowd.

Hurdle

Chiefly British A portable framework made of intertwined branches or wattle and used for temporary fencing.

Huddle

(American football) A brief meeting of all the players from one team that are on the field with the purpose of planning the following play.

Hurdle

Chiefly British A frame or sledge on which condemned persons were dragged to execution.

Huddle

(bridge) A hesitation during play to think about one's next move.

Hurdle

To leap over (a barrier) in or as if in a race.

Huddle

(intransitive) To crowd together.
The sheep huddled together seeking warmth.

Hurdle

To overcome or deal with successfully; surmount
Hurdle a problem.

Huddle

(intransitive) To curl one's legs up to the chest and keep one's arms close to the torso; to crouch; to assume a position similar to that of an embryo in the womb.

Hurdle

To leap over a barrier or other obstacle.

Huddle

To get together and discuss a topic.

Hurdle

An artificial barrier, variously constructed, over which athletes or horses jump in a race.
He ran in the 100 metres hurdles.

Huddle

To form a huddle.

Hurdle

(figuratively) An obstacle, real or perceived, physical or abstract.

Huddle

(transitive) To crowd (things) together; to mingle confusedly; to assemble without order or system.

Hurdle

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.

Huddle

(transitive) To do, make, or put, in haste or roughly; hence, to do imperfectly; usually with a following preposition or adverb (huddle on, huddle up, huddle together).

Hurdle

A sled or crate on which criminals were formerly drawn to the place of execution.

Huddle

To hesitate during play while thinking about one's next move.

Hurdle

To jump over something while running.
He hurdled the bench in his rush to get away.

Huddle

Huddled, confused, congested.

Hurdle

To compete in the track and field events of hurdles (e.g. high hurdles).

Huddle

To press together promiscuously, from confusion, apprehension, or the like; to crowd together confusedly; to press or hurry in disorder; to crowd.
The cattle huddled on the lea.
Huddling together on the public square . . . like a herd of panic-struck deer.

Hurdle

To overcome an obstacle.

Huddle

To crowd (things) together to mingle confusedly; to assemble without order or system.
Our adversary, huddling several suppositions together, . . . makes a medley and confusion.

Hurdle

To hedge, cover, make, or enclose with hurdles.

Huddle

To do, make, or put, in haste or roughly; hence, to do imperfectly; - usually with a following preposition or adverb; as, to huddle on; to huddle up; to huddle together.
Let him forescat his work with timely care,Which else is huddled when the skies are fair.
Now, in all haste, they huddle onTheir hoods, their cloaks, and get them gone.

Hurdle

(T-flapping) hurtle

Huddle

A crowd; a number of persons or things crowded together in a confused manner; tumult; confusion.

Hurdle

A movable frame of wattled twigs, osiers, or withes and stakes, or sometimes of iron, used for inclosing land, for folding sheep and cattle, for gates, etc.; also, in fortification, used as revetments, and for other purposes.

Huddle

A quick private conference

Hurdle

In England, a sled or crate on which criminals were formerly drawn to the place of execution.

Huddle

A disorganized and densely packed crowd;
A huddle of frightened women

Hurdle

An artificial barrier, variously constructed, over which men or horses leap in a race.

Huddle

Crowd or draw together;
Let's huddle together--it's cold!

Hurdle

To hedge, cover, make, or inclose with hurdles.

Huddle

Crouch or curl up;
They huddled outside in the rain

Hurdle

A light movable barrier that competitors must leap over in certain races

Huddle

To gather closely together
The players huddled up to discuss the next play.

Hurdle

An obstacle that you are expected to overcome;
The last hurdle before graduation

Huddle

To draw oneself into a compact mass
She huddled under the blanket as the storm raged outside.

Hurdle

The act of jumping over an obstacle

Hurdle

Jump a hurdle

Hurdle

To jump over obstacles
She hurdled the fence to catch her runaway dog.

Common Curiosities

Can huddle be used as a verb?

Yes, "to huddle" means to gather closely together.

What does it mean to overcome a hurdle?

It means to successfully deal with a challenge or obstacle.

Are hurdles always physical barriers?

No, hurdles can also be metaphorical challenges.

Is a huddle always planned?

No, huddles can be spontaneous gatherings as well.

Are hurdles negative?

They are challenges, which can be negative or positive depending on context.

Is a huddle a formal meeting?

No, it's usually informal and brief.

Can huddle imply secrecy?

Yes, huddles can be private meetings where confidential matters are discussed.

Is hurdling a sport?

Yes, hurdling is an athletic event involving jumping over obstacles.

Does a huddle have to include physical closeness?

Typically yes, it involves people being in close proximity to each other.

Does hurdling require skill?

Yes, especially in athletics, it requires good timing and technique.

Do huddles require a leader?

Not necessarily, though often one person will facilitate.

Can hurdle be used in a business context?

Yes, it often refers to challenges in business projects.

Can animals huddle?

Yes, animals huddle for warmth or protection.

Can hurdles be beneficial?

Overcoming hurdles can lead to personal growth and resilience.

Can anyone face a hurdle?

Yes, hurdles are a universal part of overcoming challenges in life.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Tayyaba Rehman
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.

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