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

In her writings and website biographies, Morganroth extolled the virtues of freedom of speech, of seeking the truth no matter the roadblocks and of adhering to strong ethical values. —Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026

After McKinney explained the unfortunate roadblock with Hershey Foods, Scollon had a hunch. —John Haddad, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026

In one Georgia town, local officials cut the water and sewage to the warehouse and threw down legal roadblocks. —Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026

Meanwhile, new roadblocks pop up regularly as the state’s outspoken citizens change the rules and protest. —Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026

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