roadblock

[rohd-blok]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR roadblock ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an obstruction placed across a road, especially of barricades or police cars, for halting or hindering traffic, as to facilitate the capture of a pursued car or inspection for safety violations.

an obstruction on a road, as a fallen tree or a pile of fallen rocks.

a hastily built barricade, as of barbed wire, erected across a road to hold up the advance of an enemy.

an action, condition, etc., that obstructs progress toward an objective: Nationalism is a roadblock to European unity.

verb (used with object)

to halt or obstruct with or as if with a roadblock.

Origin of roadblock

First recorded in 1935–40; road + block

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for roadblock

blockade, barricade, obstruction

Examples from the Web for roadblock

Contemporary Examples of roadblock

For over a decade, those trying to make better sunscreen found a roadblock at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Nazis, Sunscreen, and Sea Gull Eggs: Congress in 2014 Was Hella Productive
Ben Jacobs
December 29, 2014
As Mitchell was looking to expand his enterprise in the mid-2000s, he ran into a roadblock.
At This Creepy Libertarian Charter School, Kids Must Swear ‘to Be Obedient to Those in Authority’
ProPublica
October 15, 2014
Not far from the drop-off point, the team ran into their first roadblock.
The Original Ebola Hunter
Abby Haglage
September 14, 2014
The roadblock was an example of how quickly the reality on the ground is changing.
Pro-Russian Rebels Brag Kiev Is Next
Ted Phillips
September 2, 2014
We knew as we approached that this roadblock was supposed to be one of the most difficult to get through in the region.
Held at Gunpoint by Ukraine Rebels
Anna Nemtsova
May 31, 2014

Historical Examples of roadblock

Then, tonight, you took the chance of finding the roadblock.
The Flaming Mountain
Harold Leland Goodwin
Ten yards past the roadblock he turned around and looked at Malone.
Occasion for Disaster
Gordon Randall Garrett
Malone got the car going; the roadblock was lifted for him and he went on by.
Occasion for Disaster
Gordon Randall Garrett
I'm sure the Cassylians don't want to advertise their bad sportsmanship so there won't be anything as crude as a roadblock.
Deathworld
Harry Harrison
Removal of this roadblock has high priority in my legislative recommendations.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006
Various

British Dictionary definitions for roadblock

roadblock

noun

a barrier set up across a road by the police or military, in order to stop a fugitive, inspect traffic, etc

a difficulty or obstacle to progress

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for roadblock

1940, from road + block (n.).