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

All types of batteries besides lithium can travel through a checkpoint. —Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025

Grossi had to argue his way through Ukrainian checkpoints that refused passage. —Robin Wright, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025

At permanent checkpoints near the border, agents can stop cars and ask about citizenship without needing an individual reason. —Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Dec. 2025

Along the route, the vehicle passed through 10 military checkpoints, each posing a potentially life-threatening risk of arrest. —Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Dec. 2025

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