obstruct
Americanverb (used with object)
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to block or close up with an obstacle; make difficult to pass.
Debris obstructed the road.
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to interrupt, hinder, or oppose the passage, progress, course, etc., of.
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to block from sight; to be in the way of (a view, passage, etc.).
verb
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to block (a road, passageway, etc) with an obstacle
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to make (progress or activity) difficult
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to impede or block a clear view of
Other Word Forms
- obstructedly adverb
- obstructer noun
- obstructingly adverb
- obstructive adjective
- obstructively adverb
- obstructiveness noun
- obstructor noun
- preobstruct verb (used with object)
- unobstructed adjective
Etymology
Origin of obstruct
First recorded in 1605–15, obstruct is from the Latin word obstructus (past participle of obstruere “to build or pile up in the way, bar”); ob-, construct
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.
People in the study with obstructed sleep apnea who used a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine had a reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s later on, the study said.
"I think this is preventing an opponent from being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the line of vision," Joe Hart said on Match of the Day.
From BBC
He, Done’s former chief executive, was also found guilty of conspiring to obstruct justice.
Mr Frémond says not only is this unsightly, it attracts foxes and rats and obstructs the pavement.
From BBC
The footage showed Israeli reservists pinning the detainee against a wall while they surrounded themselves with shields that obstructed the camera’s view.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
