blockade
noun
the isolating, closing off, or surrounding of a place, as a port, harbor, or city, by hostile ships or troops to prevent entrance or exit.
was blockading
-
past progressiveof blockade.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
A British force of baby carriers and warships was blockading Crete.
From Time Magazine Archive
He asked a few questions about the gunboat which was blockading the entrance to Georgetown Bay.
From The Story of a Strange Career Being the Autobiography of a Convict; an Authentic Document by Anonymous
Admiral Sampson's splendid North Atlantic squadron was blockading the ports of Cuba.
From Our War with Spain for Cuba's Freedom by Trumbull White
You had not, I believe, Captain Sinclair, quite finished your account of Pontiac where you left off yesterday, at the time when he was blockading the Fort of Detroit.
From The Settlers in Canada by Frederick Marryat
Now the former order of things was reversed; the smaller fleet was blockading the larger, which was equally prepared for battle.
From True Blue by William Henry Giles Kingston
