blockage

noun

block·​age ˈblä-kij 

: an act or instance of obstructing : the state of being blocked

a blockage in a coronary artery

Examples of blockage in a Sentence

He had surgery to open up blockages in his arteries.

trying to prevent blockage of the artery

Recent Examples on the Web

If there’s a blockage, that nasty clog can prevent the water from getting to the garbage disposal, and all the water can back up into your clean dishes. — Jessica Farthing, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2026

When to Call a Professional While homeowners can visually check vents for blockages and look for obvious insulation or air-sealing problems, a professional should handle more complex issues, Hicks says. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 14 Sep. 2026

Those patients need to get to a cardiac catheterization lab as soon as possible to open up the blockage and restore oxygen to the heart. — Katie Palmer, STAT, 11 Sep. 2026

Through this, authorities have improved response times to sudden events such as blockages, signal failures or crowding without compromising live operations. — Miroslav Katsarov, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1724, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for blockage

• dockage
• lockage
• socage

Kids Definition

blockage

noun

block·​age ˈbläk-ij 

: an act or instance of blocking : the state of being blocked

a blockage in an artery

Medical Definition

blockage

noun

block·​age ˈbläk-ij 

: the action of blocking or the state of being blocked: as

a

: blockade sense 2

b

: internal resistance to understanding a communicated idea, to learning new material, or to adopting a new mode of response because of existing habitual ways of thinking, perceiving, and acting compare blocking

Legal Definition

blockage

noun

block·​age

: the condition of a large block of items of property (as shares of stock) that requires special valuation for purposes of estate and gift tax because the value of the items sold as a block differs from their value if sold individually