roadblock

noun

road·​block ˈrōd-ˌbläk 

1

a

: a barricade often with traps or mines for holding up an enemy at a point on a road covered by fire

b

: a road barricade set up especially by law enforcement officers

2

: an obstruction in a road

3

: something that blocks progress or prevents accomplishment of an objective

roadblock transitive verb

Examples of roadblock in a Sentence

That's the one roadblock to the plan.

roadblocks on the path to success

Recent Examples on the Web

An impending roadblock is combining with the Senate, whose NDAA version has a topline of $925 billion. —Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2025

The road to becoming a nurse in California has been paved with roadblocks, sharp turns and bottlenecks. —Betty Limon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025

An investigative documentary about the popular Degrassi teen series franchise set for a world premiere this weekend at the Toronto Film Festival has hit a possible legal roadblock. —Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025

Risk becomes a stepping stone rather than a roadblock. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for roadblock

• alcock
• beanstalk
• bedrock
• boardwalk
• catwalk
• cornstalk
• crosswalk
• deadlock
• feedstock
• fetlock
• flintlock
• goshawk

Kids Definition

roadblock

noun

road·​block -ˌbläk 

: a blocking of a road (as by police officers)

Legal Definition

roadblock

noun

road·​block

: a road barricade set up by law enforcement officers especially for the purpose of detecting criminal activity