noun
-
the act of blocking or state of being blocked
-
an object causing an obstruction
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of blockage
Explanation
Something that physically obstructs or blocks an opening or tube is a blockage. A blockage in your sink drain can make it overflow. There are two main kinds of blockages — the first affects your plumbing, impeding water from flowing through your pipes. The other type of blockage is a medical condition, affecting your circulatory system. The blockage in your uncle's arteries might mean he needs surgery. The noun blockage, from about 1827, comes from block, "solid piece," from the Old French bloc, "block of wood."
Vocabulary lists containing blockage
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -age
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
-age, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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 Supreme Court has directed states to prevent the blockage of elephant corridors -- routes used by herds to move between rapidly shrinking habitats -- and ordered a survey to identify obstructions along those routes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
But the sinus’s drainage pathways go direct into the nose, making it prone to regular blockage and infection, a developmental byproduct rather than a purposeful adaptation.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
“For markets, the Strait is the only thing that matters, because its blockage was most pernicious for the global economy,” said Thierry Wizman, a strategist at Macquarie Group.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026
But the hit to growth would be even more severe if an extended blockage helped trigger a sharp fall in equity prices or a sharp rise in bond yields.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
The autopsy report she later received showed my father had had ninety-percent blockage of the arteries before he died of a heart attack at the age of seventy-four.
From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan
To help ease blockages at the airport, an "automated people mover" train connecting it to the city's sparse subway system was scheduled to go into service in 2023.
From Barron's ● May 27, 2026
These blockages interfere with the brain's ability to clear harmful substances and may appear well before clear dementia symptoms develop.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 3, 2026
Dr Sutherland said the main issues he sees in patients is bladder pain caused by blockages, with some needing stents inserted to drain the kidneys.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025
The net’s original designers dealt with that imperfection by providing for the network to steer data away from blockages or other problems.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025
They’ve complained about TikTokers trespassing onto countryside farms, tourists defecating on private property and near-fist fights over trailhead parking—not to mention unsafe traffic blockages on narrow roads.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2025
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.
