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

This happens because coffee grounds tend to clump and create blockages. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Apr. 2026

The 13-year-old from Long Island, New York, had been born with ureterovesical junction obstruction, a rare congenital disease, where a blockage between the ureter and bladder causes urine to back up into the kidney. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026

The flow-velocity through the seawater intake and distribution piping must be high enough to prevent buildup of mussels and other organisms that would cause a blockage. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026

According to Gelb, Saudi authorities cited economic woes caused by the Iran War and the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz as behind their decision to renege. —News Desk, Artforum, 24 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1724, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for blockage

• dockage
• lockage

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