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blockage

American  
[blok-ij] / ˈblɒk ɪdʒ /

noun

  1. an act of blocking. block.

  2. the state of being blocked; an obstructed condition.

    the blockage of the streets by heavy snows.

  3. something that blocks; obstruction.

blockage British  
/ ˈblɒkɪdʒ /

noun

  1. the act of blocking or state of being blocked

  2. an object causing an obstruction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of blockage

First recorded in 1870–75; block + -age

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.

Soon afterward, he was in the hospital, receiving treatment for a blockage in his bowels.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Philippines, have implemented energy-saving measures due to the Strait’s partial blockage.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

“The U.S. stepping back from physically reopening the artery means the market now has to price a world where the blockage lingers, but the war premium fades at the margin,” Innes said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

Analysts have warned the knock-on impact of the Hormuz blockage could be an increase in the prices of a host of cutting-edge technologies, from smartphones to data centres.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

They clatter and scatter, creating a terrible blockage and commotion.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

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.