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

Spinal strokes, which are very rare and account for less than 1% of all strokes, occur when there is a blockage in the blood supply to the spinal cord, according to the Cleveland Clinic. —Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026

Citizens have been restricted from the internet and from making phone calls, with government outages resulting in the blockage of international calls. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2026

If your dryer is making rattling noises or experiencing blockages, these might be signs that items stored on top are causing issues. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 12 Jan. 2026

These fats can collect in the blood vessels, damaging them and causing blockages. —Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 12 Jan. 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