checkpoint

noun

check·​point ˈchek-ˌpȯint 

: a point at which a check is performed

vehicles were inspected at various checkpoints

Examples of checkpoint in a Sentence

Our car was stopped at a police checkpoint before we were permitted to cross the border.

Recent Examples on the Web

Secret Service Police Officer Victor Gonzales, who was at the security checkpoint when the gunman rushed through, will receive the President’s Award for Exceptional Service. — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 July 2026

Road closures, checkpoints and travel restrictions caused delays that, in some cases, forced the organization to cancel deliveries because the food could no longer be delivered safely. — Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026

Waiters were starting to pick up salad plates inside the cavernous Washington Hilton ballroom when a gunman opened fire near a security checkpoint outside. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 24 July 2026

One was presented to Victor Gonzales, the Secret Service agent who was staffing a security checkpoint in April and was struck in his protective vest. — Jocelyn Noveck, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for checkpoint

• adjoint
• anoint
• appoint
• conjoint
• disjoint
• endpoint
• gunpoint
• midpoint
• nonpoint
• pinpoint
• standpoint
• viewpoint

Kids Definition

checkpoint

noun

check·​point ˈchek-ˌpȯint 

: a point at which a check is carried out

vehicles were inspected at different checkpoints

Legal Definition

checkpoint

noun

check·​point

: a point at which an inspection or investigation is performed

a checkpoint to uncover drunk drivers