mental block
Britishnoun
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 she suffered the "twisties" -- a mental block triggered by stress or anxiety -- and withdrew from events to prioritise her mental health.
From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 2026
After losing to Ostapenko in Stuttgart last season, Swiatek disputed she had a mental block, saying her head "was much more clear" than previous matches.
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026
You also wonder whether there is a mental block against an opponent who a player knows has their number.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2025
Moors had successfully worked around a mental block for more than a decade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 7, 2025
“No, I couldn’t do it. A mental block or something ... I don’t know, just creepy.”
From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
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.
