obstruct
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to block or close up with an obstacle; make difficult to pass.
Debris obstructed the road.
-
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.).
verb
-
to block (a road, passageway, etc) with an obstacle
-
to make (progress or activity) difficult
-
to impede or block a clear view of
Other Word Forms
- obstructedly adverb
- obstructer noun
- obstructingly adverb
- obstructive adjective
- obstructively adverb
- obstructiveness noun
- obstructor noun
- preobstruct verb (used with object)
- unobstructed adjective
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”); ob-, construct
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.
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
“LASD did not obstruct the investigation,” county attorneys argued in court filings.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
But because he allegedly tried to obstruct the investigation, he faces a separate set of charges on much firmer legal ground.
From Slate • Mar. 11, 2026
In a February 2025 memo, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed U.S. attorneys to “aggressively” investigate those who obstruct or attack law enforcement officers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
The road had no heavy load of traffic to support; there were few sharp curves or intersections where brush could obstruct the driver’s vision.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
