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:
The man scouted around the patio and yard area, apparently for something to obstruct the camera before settling on some greenery found in the yard.
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
The supporters’ strategy was visual blocking: Whenever a protester lifted a sign critical of the Chinese government, supporters deployed oversize banners to obstruct the cameras.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026
Unlike me, Mom has glossy red hair that bounces around and might obstruct America’s view of her small freckled face.
From "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead
“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
“Simply put, the city of Los Angeles neither obstructs nor assists federal immigration operations.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 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
The tree partially obstructs the front door, but they keep it there so it is sheltered from the wind.
From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2024
Tats sticks her head in and obstructs my view of the ceiling.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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 the lower tier of London Stadium, all adult tickets we saw were £95 - or £65 with an obstructed view - on the back straight and two bends.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
The indictment charges that Lemon then obstructed church members from leaving by posting himself at the door and asking them questions.
From Slate ● Feb. 4, 2026
An additional fine of $100,000 was imposed for the "improper conduct" of players and technical staff who invaded the VAR review area and obstructed the work of the Congolese referee.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
Fortunately, the screen obstructed Holmes’s view of the mess.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Paris was one of the first cities to adopt e-scooters, but growing concern about dangerous driving and obstructing pavements led to for-hire e-scooters being outlawed.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 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
In December, a Milwaukee federal jury found Dugan guilty of obstructing law enforcement but acquitted her on a charge of concealing a man wanted by immigration authorities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 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
By the end of June, twenty-seven women had been arrested for “causing a crowd to gather and thus obstructing traffic.”
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
