barricade

1 of 2

verb

bar·​ri·​cade ˈber-ə-ˌkād How to pronounce barricade (audio)
ˈba-rə-;
ˌber-ə-ˈkād,
ˌba-rə-
barricaded; barricading

transitive verb

1
: to block off or stop up with a barricade
barricade a street
2
: to prevent access to by means of a barricade

barricade

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: an obstruction or rampart thrown up across a way or passage to check the advance of the enemy
2
3
barricades plural : a field of combat or dispute

Examples of barricade in a Sentence

Verb The police barricaded the crime scene. the city barricaded the flooded streets to through traffic Noun The enemy broke through the barricade. Police erected barricades to keep the crowds from approaching the crime scene.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Rattigan barricaded himself inside with the dogs for the next 13 hours and fired on officers trying to take him into custody, according to D.C. police. Jasmine Hilton, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 In the past, Israeli forces raiding the sacred compound have clashed with stone-throwing Palestinians who barricaded themselves inside, at times to protest Israeli access restrictions. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 10 Mar. 2024 Washington Avenue had almost all of its street parking spots barricaded off. Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 The Sacramento police officers arrested a man Friday accused of shooting at a person wielding a bat in a south Sacramento residential neighborhood before barricading himself in a home. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 26 Jan. 2024 Police said a person believed to be armed with a sharp object had barricaded himself inside a business vestibule entrance, according to Officer Alayna Gonzalez, a KCPD spokesperson. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2024 Dozens protest police raid at iconic Berkeley, California, park Nearly 100 protesters rallied near historic People's Park in Berkeley, California, on Thursday after police conducted a surprise raid overnight and barricaded the iconic property. Harold Maass, The Week Us, theweek, 5 Jan. 2024 Finally, a barrage of antitank missiles destroyed the strong room in which the former future rulers of Iraq were barricaded. Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 The 38-year-old had barricaded himself inside a home in Burnsville with seven children between the ages of 2 and 15, officials said. Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 20 Feb. 2024
Noun
As the port has faced one attack after another, employees have occasionally taken the desperate measure of stacking containers on top of each other to create a barricade against the gangs. Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 Although riot police set up barricades at both the church and cemetery, no detentions were reported. Dasha Litvinova and Katie Marie Davies, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Video streamed online on Navalny's YouTube channel showed sizable crowds standing in orderly lines and behind barricades set up by police at the church and cemetery. Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024 Protesters had set up camp in the trees and erected barricades to block officers and construction crews. Rick Rojas, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 Kuehne also is among those named in the civil lawsuit filed by the attorney general of the District of Columbia. Ashlock, of Gardner, did not enter the Capitol building but was part of the pro-Trump mob that breached police barricades on the grounds. Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2024 Late on Tuesday, Haryana police’s chief ordered the immediate seizure of the heavy equipment brought by the farmers, to prevent its use by protesters in destroying barricades. Reuters, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2024 Law enforcement set up barricades along New Delhi’s outskirts using metal fencing, cement blocks and razor wire to prevent the protestors from entering the national capital. Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 Strewn confetti and overturned barricades were visual reminders of the deadly tragedy that unfolded Wednesday afternoon. Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barricade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from Middle French, noun derivative of barricade barricade entry 2

Noun

borrowed from French, going back to Middle French, from barrique "barrel," a typical component of barricades (borrowed from Gascon barriqua, probably going back to pre-Latin *barrīca) + -ade -ade

First Known Use

Verb

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1642, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of barricade was in 1592

Dictionary Entries Near barricade

Cite this Entry

“Barricade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barricade. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

barricade

1 of 2 verb
bar·​ri·​cade ˈbar-ə-ˌkād How to pronounce barricade (audio)
ˌbar-ə-ˈkād
barricaded; barricading
: to block off with a barricade

barricade

2 of 2 noun
: a barrier usually made in a hurry for protection against attack or for blocking the way

More from Merriam-Webster on barricade

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