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
Adam Gray/Getty Images California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, has been negotiating with students who have been barricaded inside a campus building since Monday, rebuffing an attempt by the police to clear them out. CBS News, 26 Apr. 2024 Inside Siemens Hall, students and community members have barricaded themselves in the administrative building, and have no plans to leave until campus leadership supports a permanent ceasefie in Gaza, and divests from companies that support the Israeli military. Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 24 Apr. 2024 The dispute reached a critical point on Jan. 31, 2023, when tribal officials barricaded four roads on the reservation, cutting off the only road access to the homes of non-tribal residents of some 65 properties. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024 Police said several people willingly came out of the residence after the officers arrived, but the suspect refused to exit and barricaded himself inside. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024 Officers arrived to find an armed male who had barricaded himself in a room, the release said. Remington Miller, arkansasonline.com, 6 Apr. 2024 Moyer barricaded himself in his home but eventually surrendered and was taken into custody, the Lehighton Borough Police Department said. Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2024 Russia hits energy targets in Ukraine, showing need for more air defenses Initial reports by Russian media suggested that some assailants might have barricaded themselves inside and that there could be at least 100 people still in the building — some potentially trapped by fire on an upper floor. Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024 After police arrived, Bledsoe barricaded himself in a room and was holding a woman there against her will, officials said. The Enquirer, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
Shortly before midnight on Sunday, protesters knocked down the barricades — piling them in a stack in the middle of the lawn — and flooded the lawn, with people remaining there overnight in some 85 tents, the GW Hatchet reports. Rachel Treisman, NPR, 29 Apr. 2024 Can communities barricade and surveil schools to safety? Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024 The Citroën rolled through the barricades once more—Episode 101, Scene 47, take four. Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024 Last night, a group of anti-government protesters attempted to break through barricades at Netanyahu's home during the fourth night of demonstrations. NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024 Seeing thousands of fans jump up and down, mosh and squeeze up against the barricade to sing along live aren’t moments lost on these guys, either. Kelli Fadroski, Orange County Register, 3 Apr. 2024 In March 2023, Lac du Flambeau town officials accepted the tribe’s offer to remove the barricades for 90 days in exchange for $60,000 while negotiations for a more permanent solution continued. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024 In early April, demonstrators scaled police barricades outside the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem. Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2024 Despite the area being closed to the public that day and blocked by fencing, prosecutors say Schubert and others breached the police barricades in this area and made their way to West Plaza. Michael Moore Jr., Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 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 2 May. 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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