blockade

American  

[blo-keyd] / blɒˈkeɪd /

noun

blockades plural

1. 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.

2. any obstruction of passage or progress.

   We had difficulty in getting through the blockade of bodyguards.

3. Pathology. interruption or inhibition of a normal physiological signal, as a nerve impulse or a heart muscle–contraction impulse.

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verb (used with object)

blockades, present (3rd person singular) blockaded, past participle, past blockading present participle

1. to subject to a blockade.

blockade British  

/ blɒˈkeɪd /

noun

1. military the interdiction of a nation's sea lines of communications, esp of an individual port by the use of sea power

2. something that prevents access or progress

3. med the inhibition of the effect of a hormone or a drug, a transport system, or the action of a nerve by a drug

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verb

1. to impose a blockade on

2. to obstruct the way to

Synonym Usage

See siege.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• blockader
  noun
• counterblockade
  noun
• preblockade
  noun
• nonblockaded
  adjective
• problockade
  adjective
• unblockaded
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• blockades
  plural

Participles

• blockading
  present
• blockaded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• blockade
  simple
• blockades
  simple
• have blockaded
  perfect
• has blockaded
  perfect
• am blockading
  progressive
• are blockading
  progressive
• is blockading
  progressive
• have been blockading
  perfect progressive
• has been blockading
  perfect progressive

Past

• blockaded
  simple
• had blockaded
  perfect
• was blockading
  progressive
• were blockading
  progressive
• had been blockading
  perfect progressive

Future

• will blockade
  simple
• will have blockaded
  perfect
• will be blockading
  progressive
• will have been blockading
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

Emirati officials have announced plans to expand the ports, seeking to reduce their vulnerability to another blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding to halt the war, open the Strait of Hormuz and lift the American military blockade on Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

Many of the tankers that have transited the strait in recent days have been linked with Iran following the lifting of the US naval blockade as part of the deal.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

News that Iran and the U.S. had agreed to a 60-day cease-fire sent oil and stocks up, despite few details beyond Iran agreeing to open the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. lifting its blockade.

From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026

Even though Haupt had earned two medals on his voyage for spotting a British naval blockade and warning the ship to run past it safely, Haupt and Wergin weren't allowed to leave the freighter.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

Related Words

• barricade
• closure
• encirclement
• restriction
• roadblock
• siege
• stoppage