obstruct

American  

[uhb-struhkt] / əbˈstrʌkt /

verb (used with object)

1. 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

2. to interrupt, hinder, or oppose the passage, progress, course, etc., of.

3. to block from sight; to be in the way of (a view, passage, etc.).

---

obstruct British  

/ əbˈstrʌkt /

verb

1. to block (a road, passageway, etc) with an obstacle

2. to make (progress or activity) difficult

3. 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

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.

Example Sentences

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

Because Samsung’s software can control which pixels to disable—and when—it can selectively obstruct parts of the screen, then turn off the shield when you don’t need it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

MSF slammed the move, which takes effect on March 1, as a "pretext" to obstruct aid.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

A defence solicitor said it was a sad and distressing case, but argued that it was not a case of the deliberate attempt to obstruct justice.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 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

Related Words

• block
• curb
• cut off
• hamper
• hinder
• impede
• inhibit
• interfere
• obscure
• retard
• stall
• stonewall
• stymie
• thwart