blockade
Americannoun
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blockades
plural
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the isolating, closing off, or surrounding of a place, as a port, harbor, or city, by hostile ships or troops to prevent entrance or exit.
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any obstruction of passage or progress.
We had difficulty in getting through the blockade of bodyguards.
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Pathology. interruption or inhibition of a normal physiological signal, as a nerve impulse or a heart muscle–contraction impulse.
verb (used with object)
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blockades,
present (3rd person singular)
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blockaded,
past participle, past
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blockading
present participle
noun
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military the interdiction of a nation's sea lines of communications, esp of an individual port by the use of sea power
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something that prevents access or progress
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med the inhibition of the effect of a hormone or a drug, a transport system, or the action of a nerve by a drug
verb
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to impose a blockade on
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to obstruct the way to
Synonym Usage
See siege.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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blockadernoun
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counterblockadenoun
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preblockadenoun
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nonblockadedadjective
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problockadeadjective
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unblockadedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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blockadesimple
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blockadessimple
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have blockadedperfect
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has blockadedperfect
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am blockadingprogressive
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are blockadingprogressive
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is blockadingprogressive
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have been blockadingperfect progressive
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has been blockadingperfect progressive
Past
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blockadedsimple
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had blockadedperfect
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was blockadingprogressive
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were blockadingprogressive
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had been blockadingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of blockade
1670–80; block (in the sense “to create obstacles”) + -ade 1
Explanation
A blockade is an obstacle that stands between you and something you're trying to reach. After a robbery, police might set up a blockade around the neighborhood to catch the thief. Anything that impedes or halts progress is a blockade. If you join the military, you might find yourself building a blockade to confine your enemies and isolate them from the outside world. If you think of the root of this word, block, then you've pretty much got the meaning right there. If you don't want your little sister to disturb the house of cards you're building in my room, you can take lots of pillows and make a fort to use as a blockade to keep her from wandering in and knocking everything over.
Vocabulary lists containing blockade
The American Civil War
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The American Revolution - Introductory
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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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.
See Examples For:
The hauliers' union Conftrasporto is now threatening a "national blockade", denouncing "the climate of tension created by the unbearable situation linked to the surge in energy prices".
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
“Lincoln Nation conducted major combat operations, enforced naval blockade and demonstrated the presence and power of the carrier strike group and multiple numbered fleets, all while keeping up unprecedented operational tempo.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
The audio marked the beginning of a monthslong American naval blockade, now in its second iteration, that has redirected more than 270 vessels as of Oct.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
The U.S. has also become more confident that its naval blockade of Hormuz is having a severe effect on the Iranian economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The German army’s blockade of the city of Leningrad, which had begun on September 8, 1941, finally ended in its defeat there on January 27, 1944.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
With the Strait of Hormuz largely sealed by rival U.S and Iranian blockades, Riyadh shifted its exports from Hormuz, its main energy corridor, to the Red Sea coast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
The blockades in Frontignan and Fos-sur-Mer have been lifted, but Ange Natoli, a fishermen's representative, said he wanted to continue the movement until they were able to speak directly to Fisheries Minister Catherine Chabaud.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
Iran’s oil exports have been greatly reduced after the U.S. imposed naval blockades of Iranian ports, though it is unclear how long that will remain the case.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
When the capital came under siege by Islamist fighters, they managed to impose a partial blockade there and total blockades elsewhere including the city of Ségou.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
It had quickly become obvious that they wouldn’t be able to maintain over five hundred different blockades or fend off the massive influx of gunters.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
On Tuesday, more than 260,000 students, parents and teachers took to the streets as protesters blockaded hundreds of high schools.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Students' unions put the number at 450,000, and said the number of high schools blockaded was 1,800 on what the protesters dubbed "Act Three" of their movement.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
According to the AFP news agency, four high schools were reportedly blockaded in the southern regions of Alpes-Maritimes and Var.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Iran has blockaded the waterway since the war began.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
Leningrad, Russia’s old capital, was under attack and had been blockaded by the German army since September 8, 1941.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Abdel said the pupils planned to continue blockading the school until the autumn break beginning Friday, then organise more regular protests while still attending lessons.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
The demonstrations began in Paris last week but have escalated to cities including Dijon, Lyon, Strasbourg, Lille and Marseille, with teenagers blockading their schools for days.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Current missions include intercepting Iranian missiles, providing cover for commercial ships in the strait and blockading Iranian ports and coastal areas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
ICE reported a half-dozen arrests outside the facility after masked agents used force against protestors who they said were blockading the entrances to the facility.
From Salon ● May 30, 2026
The British believed that by blockading German shipping lanes and seaports, they could starve Germany into submission.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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