obstruct
Americanverb (used with object)
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obstructs,
present (3rd person singular)
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obstructed,
past participle, past
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obstructing
present participle
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to block or close up with an obstacle; make difficult to pass.
Debris obstructed the road.
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to interrupt, hinder, or oppose the passage, progress, course, etc., of.
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to block from sight; to be in the way of (a view, passage, etc.).
verb
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to block (a road, passageway, etc) with an obstacle
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to make (progress or activity) difficult
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to impede or block a clear view of
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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obstructernoun
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obstructivenessnoun
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obstructornoun
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preobstructverb (used with object)
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obstructiveadjective
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unobstructedadjective
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obstructedlyadverb
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obstructinglyadverb
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obstructivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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obstructsimple
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obstructssimple
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have obstructedperfect
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has obstructedperfect
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am obstructingprogressive
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are obstructingprogressive
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is obstructingprogressive
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have been obstructingperfect progressive
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has been obstructingperfect progressive
Past
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obstructedsimple
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had obstructedperfect
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was obstructingprogressive
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were obstructingprogressive
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had been obstructingperfect progressive
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.
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.
See Examples For:
“It does not obstruct or impede lawful federal immigration enforcement operations.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
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
If constructed, it will be topped with gilded bald eagles and an angelic Lady Liberty; its speckless white-marble columns will be wide enough to obstruct sight lines to the Lincoln Memorial.
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
Castillero and Martinsen were both also convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction charges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
The High Blade did not want anything to obstruct his view—and anyone stupid enough to trip over the edge would deserve the time and cost of revival.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
“This administration has been clear: anyone who assaults or obstructs law enforcement will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Then it went into a Faraday bag, which obstructs Wi-Fi, cellular, Bluetooth and GPS signals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
“Anyone who actively obstructs law enforcement in the performance of their sworn duties, including U.S. citizens, will of course face consequences which include arrest.”
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2026
Coincidentally, the closure of stomata also obstructs the preferred entry points for nutrient-sucking pests like spider mites.
From Science Daily ● May 3, 2024
Tats sticks her head in and obstructs my view of the ceiling.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
You don’t know where either track goes beyond the bottom of the hill, and you can’t see whether either track is obstructed.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
Many residents’ view of the blaze in recent days has been obstructed by the marine layer, which has provided some much-needed moisture for fire crews.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general said the agency has systematically obstructed its work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
The box was labelled "E-scooter hire" in large white letters, and Suchet says it obstructed a walkway for her neighbours.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026
In a while he started upstream, walking along the bank, where no tall grass obstructed the way.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
Cleveland Police said Gye Worthy has been charged with common assault and obstructing police and is due to appear at Teesside Magistrates' Court in October.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
A jury convicted Baca in 2017 on charges of obstructing justice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
“There used to be three eucalyptus there, but the hotel owner cut them down because they were obstructing his view.”
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
A second defendant Abubakar Adamu, 35, the driver of the stationary lorry the car collided with, denies a charge against him of obstructing the free flow of traffic.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
There are tall trees obstructing most of my view, but I can see the occasional plane, and I send it my love.
From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King
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.
