# sticking point

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/sticking-point
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A disputed issue or state of affairs that causes an interruption or outright impasse in progress towards some goal or resolution, especially in negotiation or argumentation.

## Examples

- Money is always the sticking point in our talks.
- The contract looked good until salary became the sticking point that stopped everything.
- For weeks the negotiations had proceeded smoothly, but intellectual property rights emerged as the final sticking point that neither side would concede.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.