Synonyms

obstruct

American

[uhb-struhkt] / əbˈstrʌkt /

verb (used with object)

to block or close up with an obstacle; make difficult to pass.

Debris obstructed the road.

Synonyms:

arrest, retard, slow, check, prevent, impede, hinder, clog, choke, stop

Antonyms:

further, encourage
to interrupt, hinder, or oppose the passage, progress, course, etc., of.
to block from sight; to be in the way of (a view, passage, etc.).

obstruct British

/ əbˈstrʌkt /

verb

to block (a road, passageway, etc) with an obstacle
to make (progress or activity) difficult
to impede or block a clear view of

"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

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Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of obstruct

First recorded in 1605–15, obstruct is from the Latin word obstructus (past participle of obstruere “to build or pile up in the way, bar”); see ob-, construct

Explanation

When you obstruct something, you block it. If you’re gobbling down your pizza, a chunk of crust you didn’t chew so well might obstruct your airway and you'll choke. Obstruct also means to get in the way so that you hide something from view. That fast food tower being built next to your beach house will obstruct your lovely ocean vistas. And that scene gives you a vivid illustration of the Latin roots the word comes from: ob- "against," and struere, "build." You can also obstruct something or someone by putting up a roadblock, literal or figurative: when you park yourself by the exit door, you obstruct everybody's way out.

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Vocabulary lists containing obstruct

The Declaration of Independence

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List 1

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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 3

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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.

As governor, he said he would not obstruct federal immigration authorities, instead favouring a return to what he characterised as a more co-operative approach seen during the Obama administration.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

Castillero and Martinsen were both also convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction charges.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

Federal prosecutors said while many people were peacefully demonstrating against immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles County last summer, some people sought to use violence to obstruct, impede or injure officers conducting the enforcement operations.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

It applies to the strait and adjacent waters to "secure transit passage and to deter attempts to close, obstruct or otherwise interfere with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz."

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

But again he didn’t comply, evidently determined to extort money and obstruct justice.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

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