blockade

verb

block·ade | \ blä-ˈkād

blockaded; blockading

Definition of blockade

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to subject to a blockade

2 : block, obstruct

blockade

noun

Definition of blockade (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the isolation by a warring nation of an enemy area (such as a harbor) by troops or warships to prevent passage of persons or supplies broadly : a restrictive measure designed to obstruct the commerce and communications of an unfriendly nation

2 : something that blocks

3 : interruption of normal physiological function (such as transmission of nerve impulses) of a cellular receptor, tissue, or organ also : inhibition of a physiologically active substance (such as a hormone)

Other Words from blockade Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about blockade

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Synonyms & Antonyms for blockade

Synonyms: Verb

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

Synonyms: Noun

beleaguerment, investment, leaguer, siege

Antonyms: Verb

open, unbar

Examples of blockade in a Sentence

Verb

They blockaded the country's ports. the militant protestors blockaded the whole area around city hall

Noun

it was the blockade of all the enemy's major ports that finally won the war

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Charismatic former journalist Nikol Pashinyan led a general strike that saw 100,000 ordinary citizens blockade the streets of the capitol, Yerevan. — Tom Ball, The New Republic, "How to Stage a Successful Revolution," 1 July 2019 Only a drug that targets the right road can stop the disease, just as blockading only the roads taken by an invading army can stop it from laying siege to a city. — STAT, "The boy was dying. Zebrafish helped save his life," 1 July 2019 Late Wednesday, hundreds again surrounded police headquarters, blockading roads. — Natasha Khan, WSJ, "Hong Kong Protesters Urge Foreign Governments to Confront Beijing at G-20 Summit," 26 June 2019 Washington has also eased up on Saudi rival Qatar, after initially backing Riyadh's attempts to blockade its fellow Gulf monarchy. — Nic Robertson, CNN, "Khashoggi murder: Independent investigation blames Saudi Arabia for 'extrajudicial killing' of journalist," 19 June 2019 Thousands of people have joined, participating in non- violent actions by blocking bridges, blockading roads and shutting down government buildings. — Farhana Yamin, Time, "This Is the Only Way to Tackle the Climate Emergency," 14 June 2019 Protesters blockaded key thoroughfares and occupied the streets in the city for 79 days. — Antony Dapiran, CNN, "City of dissent: Hong Kong has a proud tradition of protesting to protect its unique identity," 14 June 2019 In 2015, Mother Nature, a feisty Cambodian environmental group, launched a campaign to rein in the dredging, petitioning government officials and even blockading and boarding the ships. — Vince Beiser, National Geographic, "Sand mining threatens ways of life, from Cambodia to Nigeria," 23 Apr. 2019 In 2014, protesters broke up a groundbreaking for the Thirty Meter Telescope and then blockaded the mountain, preventing any construction. — Dennis Overbye, New York Times, "Extremely Large, Extremely Expensive: The Race for the Next Giant Telescopes," 11 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Meanwhile on Monday, the travel blockade on all Russian and Georgian flights operating between the countries posed a serious economic challenge to Georgia. — Washington Post, "Now it’s personal: Georgian TV host unleashes nasty tirade against Putin as tensions with Russia escalate," 9 July 2019 Meanwhile, the travel blockade on all Russian and Georgian flights operating between the countries poses a serious economic challenge to Georgia. — BostonGlobe.com, "Georgian TV host unleashes tirade against Putin as tensions with Russia escalate," 8 July 2019 Tillerson, surprised when Saudi Arabia and the UAE announced the blockade some time later, indicated the U.S. would remain neutral, since Qatar is also an important ally. — Tracy Wilkinson, latimes.com, "Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson describes Jared Kushner’s secret diplomacy," 27 June 2019 Tillerson said he was never made aware of the dinner and was not briefed in advance about the controversial blockade. — Deirdre Shesgreen, USA TODAY, "'The president was on a steep learning curve.' What Rex Tillerson told key House committee," 27 June 2019 Kushner and Tillerson disagreed about the blockade, Tillerson said. — NBC News, "Kushner cut me, other top diplomats out of the loop in talks with Saudis, says Tillerson," 27 June 2019 Photo: mohammed salem/Reuters Israel defends the blockade as necessary to prevent weapons from being smuggled into the Gaza Strip. — Felicia Schwartz, WSJ, "Hamas Spurns U.S.-Led Aid Effort," 20 June 2019 Hamas has been leading weekly protests along the Israeli perimeter fence for the past year in hopes of easing the blockade, but the demonstrations, in which some 190 people have been killed by Israeli fire, have had little effect. — Isabel Debre, The Seattle Times, "Israel bombs targets in Gaza as rocket fire resumes," 27 Mar. 2019 First in animal experiments and later in clinical trials, Honjo showed that a blockade of PD-1 with antibodies could cure several types of cancer. — Quanta Magazine, "Nobel Prize Awarded for Cancer Immunotherapy," 1 Oct. 2018

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

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Dictionary Entries near blockade

Statistics for blockade

Last Updated

11 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for blockade

The first known use of blockade was in 1563

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More Definitions for blockade

blockade

verb

English Language Learners Definition of blockade

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to place a blockade on (a port or country) : to stop people or supplies from entering or leaving (a port or country) especially during a war

blockade

noun

English Language Learners Definition of blockade (Entry 2 of 2)

: an act of war in which one country uses ships to stop people or supplies from entering or leaving another country

See the full definition for blockade in the English Language Learners Dictionary

blockade

verb

block·ade | \ blä-ˈkād

blockaded; blockading

Kids Definition of blockade

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to close off a place to prevent the coming in or going out of people or supplies

blockade

noun

Kids Definition of blockade (Entry 2 of 2)

: the closing off of a place (as by warships) to prevent the coming in or going out of people or supplies

blockade

noun

block·ade | \ blä-ˈkād

Medical Definition of blockade

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : interruption of normal physiological function (as transmission of nerve impulses) of a cellular receptor, tissue, or organ

b : inhibition of a physiologically active substance (as a hormone)

2 : the process of reducing the phagocytic capabilities of the mononuclear phagocyte system by loading it with harmless material (as India ink or lampblack) which engages its cells in phagocytosis and prevents them from reacting to new antigenic material — compare blocking antibody