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

Most blockages are personal before structural. —Louisa Loran, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025

Keep the exhaust pipe free of blockage to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. —Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 29 Nov. 2025

When the septum is off-center or tilted to one side, it’s known as a deviated septum, which can cause nasal blockage, breathing difficulties, or persistent drainage. —Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025

The suction can often dislodge the blockage and push it through. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2025

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