checkpoint

American  

[chek-point] / ˈtʃɛkˌpɔɪnt /

noun

1. a place along a road, border, etc., where travelers are stopped for inspection.

2. a point or item, especially in a procedure, for notation, inspection, or confirmation.

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checkpoint British  

/ ˈtʃɛkˌpɔɪnt /

noun

1. a place, as at a frontier or in a motor rally, where vehicles or travellers are stopped for official identification, inspection, etc

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Etymology

Origin of checkpoint

First recorded in 1935–40; check ¹ + point

Example Sentences

The checkpoint is near the corner of 17th Street Northwest and Pennsylvania Avenue, an area typically crowded with tourists just outside the White House complex.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

Transportation Security Administration checkpoint numbers are pretty level with last year and the year before, the war is only two and a half months old, and Memorial Day is still around the corner.

From Slate • May 12, 2026

The president and other top officials have said a Secret Service officer was shot as the attacker charged a security checkpoint at the hotel, and that he survived thanks to a bulletproof vest.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Although Romero León was able to board the bus on April 11, he said he was almost immediately pulled off by Mexican authorities at a checkpoint and placed into a detention center.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

People crossing the border checkpoint on foot or on a bike are less likely to be inspected.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario