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
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
Beijing will also scrutinize companies that fail to truthfully record the flow of rare-earth products and producers that refuse or obstruct government inspections, the ministry said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026
"The defendant not only sought to obstruct the lawful execution of warrants by prosecutors and others," he said in his verdict.
From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026
Institutions—government, religion, school administrations, the music industry, Microsoft—were roadblocks, put on earth to obstruct and torment him, invade his privacy and limit his freedom of movement on the Internet.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
“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
Mr Frémond says not only is this unsightly, it attracts foxes and rats and obstructs the pavement.
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2025
Coincidentally, the closure of stomata also obstructs the preferred entry points for nutrient-sucking pests like spider mites.
From Science Daily ● May 3, 2024
“Pharmacist verification based on the photograph … obstructs the pharmacist’s ability to verify the prescription,” the regulators wrote on the citation, which imposed a $5,000 fine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2023
Black smoke obstructs my vision, stings my eyes.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
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
In February 2024, Fain and allies on the union’s board removed powers from Mock based on “spurious allegations” that she had obstructed union business, Barofsky said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
To soothe concerns about obstructed pavements, councils are now installing parking bays directly onto streets, permanently embedding the schemes into the architecture of cities.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026
In recent years, development projects in Egypt's second city have razed historic parks and -- most egregiously to locals -- privatised and obstructed much of its Mediterranean coastline.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
Fortunately, the screen obstructed Holmes’s view of the mess.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Dickson said conscientious objection was also delaying and obstructing access to abortion care in NHS settings in Wales.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
A Los Angeles man was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison Monday for obstructing law enforcement during protests in downtown Los Angeles amid the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Ken Leech, the former chief investment officer of bond-fund company Western Asset Management, just pleaded guilty in a criminal court in New York to a charge of obstructing justice for giving false and misleading testimony.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026
She said "99 percent of people get their visa" and that those that do not are refused for breaking "the law and obstructing the work of the government".
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
Let any obstructing cause, no matter what, be removed in any way—even by death—and we fly back to first principles of hope and enjoyment.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
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.
