barricade

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

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

See barricade defined for English-language learners

See barricade defined for kids

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

That count includes Sung, whose body was found at 2:41 p.m. on Sunday, still barricaded inside his flooded clock shop.

— wesley lowery and avi selk, chicagotribune.com, "'He laid down his life': Houston police officer among Harvey's victims," 29 Aug. 2017
In Phoenix, the streets surrounding the convention center were blocked off and barricaded, separating protesters and Trump supporters.

— christopher silavong, Teen Vogue, "10 Young People on Why They Protested Trump's Phoenix Rally," 23 Aug. 2017
Ms. Ploesser believes Mr. Anglin barricaded himself in one of his Ohio addresses.

— nellie bowles, New York Times, "To Sue Founder of Daily Stormer, a Neo-Nazi Site, First He Must Be Found," 20 Aug. 2017
A 41-year-old Auburn man is believed to have died from smoke inhalation after throwing a Molotov cocktail at sheriff’s deputies Tuesday morning and barricading himself in a shed that then caught fire.

— sara jean green, The Seattle Times, "Auburn man burns deputy with Molotov cocktail, then dies in shed fire, authorities say," 2 Aug. 2017
A line for some hot chocolate should not be barricading off access to six or more vendors.

— Naperville Sun, "Readers Respond," 28 July 2017
And protests continued to break out on the streets, and some protesters tried to barricade intersections to prevent G20 leaders from getting to their meetings.

— jen kirby, Daily Intelligencer, "Police and Protesters Clash in Hamburg As Thousands Flock to G20 Demonstrations," 7 July 2017
Joined by dozens of foreign fighters, the attackers occupied buildings, set free more than 100 inmates before burning a jail, destroyed a cathedral and barricaded streets and three access bridges in 19 of 96 Marawi neighborhoods.

— Bloomberg.com, "A Look At Philippine Leader's Stormy First Year in Power," 30 June 2017
Joined by dozens of foreign fighters, the attackers occupied buildings, set free more than 100 inmates before burning a jail, destroyed a cathedral and barricaded streets and three access bridges in 19 of 96 Marawi neighborhoods.

— Bloomberg.com, "A Look At Philippine Leader's Stormy First Year in Power," 30 June 2017

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

Synonyms

bar, close (off), blockade, block (off), guard, wall (off)

Antonyms

open, unbar

Related Words

curtain (off), screen (off); dike, fence, gate, hedge; bolt, lock; obstruct

Near Antonyms

reopen, unblock, unbolt

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

See barricade defined for English-language learners

Examples of barricade in a Sentence

The enemy broke through the barricade.
Police erected barricades to keep the crowds from approaching the crime scene.

Recent Examples of barricade from the Web

From business owners like Griffins and Cat Lacy Photography on Main Street, who were willing to help with Wi-Fi, to the folks at the Bruce Convention Center, to Moe, who manned the barricade at one end of the Summer Salute.

— michael clevenger, The Courier-Journal, "The Courier-Journal came for the eclipse, and we fell in love with Hopkinsville," 22 Aug. 2017
Pieces of the metal barricade still circled Lee Park, recently renamed Emancipation Park, where a statue of Confederate hero Robert E. Lee has stood since the 1920s.

— sarah ellison, The Hive, "Why Charlottesville, Liberal College Town, Became Ground Zero for White Supremacy," 15 Aug. 2017
The protesters have put barricades around a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Emancipation Park, according to CNN.

— suzannah weiss, Teen Vogue, "White Nationalists Marched Through the University of Virginia," 12 Aug. 2017
Jaime, Bronn, and Randyl order the Lannister solders to get in line and form a barricade in front of the wagons holding gold.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 4: 11 Things to Know About "The Spoils of War"," 7 Aug. 2017
The truck then smashed through a freeway barricade into the transition from north SR-125 to I-8.

— lyndsay winkley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "At least 1 dead after semi-truck veers into oncoming freeway traffic in La Mesa," 2 Aug. 2017
So Kobach’s career trajectory is of more than passing interest to a lot of Americans on both sides of the partisan barricades.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Kris Kobach Wants a Promotion. But Will He Run for Governor or Join Trump’s Cabinet?," 31 July 2017
In clashes elsewhere, security forces fired tear gas at protesters manning barricades.

— reuters, Fortune, "Millions of Venezuelans Heed the Call for a 24-Hour Anti-Maduro Strike," 20 July 2017
And the reason for the hordes of screaming teenage girls teeming behind barricades?

— nicki gostin, Vogue, "Hundreds of Girls, Harry Styles, Kenneth Branagh, and More Come Out for One Epic Dunkirk Premiere," 19 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of barricade

borrowed from French, going back to Medieval French, from barrique "barrel," a typical component of barricades (borrowed from Gascon barriqua, probably going back to pre-Latin *barrīca) + -ade -ade

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1642

See Words from the same year

barricade Synonyms

Synonyms

barrier, fence, hedge, wall

Related Words

bar, pale, paling; block, chain, clog, crimp, deterrent, drag, embarrassment, encumbrance, handicap, hindrance, hurdle, impediment, inhibition, interference, let, obstacle, obstruction, roadblock, stop, stumbling block, trammel; fetter, hobble, manacle, shackle (s); constraint, curb, restraint, snag; buffer, bulwark, bumper, cushion, dam, fender, pad, rampart

Near Antonyms

door, doorway, entrance, entranceway, entry, entryway, gate, portal; break, gap, pass

Other Military Terms

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

BARRICADE Defined for English Language Learners

barricade

play

verb

Definition of barricade for English Language Learners

: to block (something) so that people or things cannot enter or leave

barricade

noun

Definition of barricade for English Language Learners

: a temporary wall, fence, or similar structure that is built to prevent people from entering a place or area

BARRICADE Defined for Kids

barricade

play

verb bar·ri·cade \ ˈber-ə-ˌkād \

Definition of barricade for Students

barricaded; barricading

:to block off with a temporary barrier

barricade

noun

Definition of barricade for Students

:a temporary barrier for protection against attack or for blocking the way

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See words that rhyme with barricade Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for barricade Spanish Central: Translation of barricade Nglish: Translation of barricade for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of barricade for Arabic speakers

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barricade

Definition of barricade

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Origin and Etymology of barricade

barricade Synonyms

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Related Words

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Other Military Terms

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BARRICADE Defined for English Language Learners

barricade

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barricade

Definition of barricade for English Language Learners

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barricade

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