barricade

verb bar·ri·cade \ ˈber-ə-ˌkād , ˈba-rə- ; ˌber-ə-ˈkād , ˌba-rə- \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of barricade

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

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Examples of barricade in a Sentence

The police barricaded the crime scene.
the city barricaded the flooded streets

Recent Examples of barricade from the Web

Every other year or so, there was always a story in the paper about somebody barricading themselves in their apartment on their birthday to avoid the Examination.

— jason douglas louie, The Root, "Birthday Boy," 15 Apr. 2018
During such moments, photo editors scramble to identify the location of photographers while keeping a grasp on fluid developments on the scene: barricaded streets, number of victims and the medical facilities where they might be transported.

— rj mickelson, San Francisco Chronicle, "Photos of the week: April 3, 2018 - April 9, 2018," 9 Apr. 2018
The recognition came for talking a barricaded, suicidal man out of a SWAT incident, his lawyer Gene Gibbons said.

— linda trischitta, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Coral Springs cop demoted and suspended over joke with racial slur," 6 Apr. 2018
School staff and McDuffie conducted four scenarios, trying out different methods of hiding, running, barricading and fighting.

— jason ruiter, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Lake School Board members go to class to learn firsthand about active shooters," 2 Apr. 2018
Teresa Buss came to work at Pulaski High School in Milwaukee two weeks ago and found the building barricaded.

— ashley luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee police search for shooter at Pulaski High School left trauma in its wake," 29 Mar. 2018
Over the course of a frightening two hours, the gunman took hostages and barricaded himself in the supermarket as police surrounded the building outside.

— rachel wolfe, Vox, "Vox Sentences: A wild omnibus ride," 24 Mar. 2018
The teen suspect was arrested hours after allegedly barricading himself inside the home, according to investigators.

— chris harris, PEOPLE.com, "Fla. Boy Stabbed to Death at a Sleepover on His 13th Birthday: 'He Was My Angel,' Mom Says," 16 Mar. 2018
The park requires an intensive safety inspection regime — half of it has been barricaded off since November so that rotten boughs can be replaced — but, so far, any injuries have been minor ones, Mr. Moran said.

— ellen barry, New York Times, "In Britain’s Playgrounds, ‘Bringing in Risk’ to Build Resilience," 10 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'barricade.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of barricade

borrowed from Medieval French, noun derivative of barricade ²barricade

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1592

See Words from the same year

barricade Synonyms

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

barricade

noun

Definition of barricade

1 a : an obstruction or rampart thrown up across a way or passage to check the advance of the enemy

b : barrier 1a

2 : barrier 3, obstacle

3 barricades plural : a field of combat or dispute