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mental block

British

noun

See block

"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

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.

But she suffered the "twisties" -- a mental block triggered by stress or anxiety -- and withdrew from events to prioritise her mental health.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

After losing to Ostapenko in Stuttgart last season, Swiatek disputed she had a mental block, saying her head "was much more clear" than previous matches.

From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026

Hamstrung by her mental block that caused her body to freeze before most backwards skills, Moors was held out of her training group because she couldn’t complete the requisite skills.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2025

Back in 2008, Page experienced a similar mental block where she "got lost in a skill", triggered by what she said was a lack of confidence in her ability.

From BBC • Aug. 2, 2024

“I won’t mention that misguided trip to Baton Rouge. That incident, I believe, caused me to form a mental block against working.”

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023