millstone

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But climates shift, and while “invented heritage” can act as a powerful anchor, it can also be a millstone, an obstacle to necessary, large-scale changes.

From Salon • Jan. 3, 2026

“As the only sector to record a negative return in Q3, staples was the proverbial millstone around quality’s neck.”

From Barron's • Oct. 27, 2025

While he said the charity does an "enormous amount of good work" across the UK "it is beleaguered with the Assured Scheme" which he said was like a "millstone" around the charity's neck.

From BBC • Dec. 21, 2024

Yet property remains a millstone for growth and confidence and while the economy may have touched bottom, there are no signs of the sort of rapid rebound that would compel investment.

From Reuters • Oct. 18, 2023

Paradoxically, a series of ‘improvements’, each of which was meant to make life easier, added up to a millstone around the necks of these farmers.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari