obstruct

verb

ob·struct | \ əb-ˈstrəkt

, äb-\

obstructed; obstructing; obstructs

Definition of obstruct

1 : to block or close up by an obstacle A piece of food obstructed his airway. The road was obstructed by a fallen tree.

2 : to hinder from passage, action, or operation : impede Constant interruptions obstruct our progress. was charged with obstructing justice by lying to investigators

3 : to cut off from sight A wall obstructs the view.

Other Words from obstruct Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about obstruct

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Other Words from obstruct

obstructive \ əb-ˈstrək-tiv

, äb- \ adjective or noun

obstructiveness noun

obstructor \ əb-ˈstrək-tər

, äb- \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for obstruct

hinder, impede, obstruct, block mean to interfere with the activity or progress of. hinder stresses causing harmful or annoying delay or interference with progress. rain hindered the climb impede implies making forward progress difficult by clogging, hampering, or fettering. tight clothing that impedes movement obstruct implies interfering with something in motion or in progress by the sometimes intentional placing of obstacles in the way. the view was obstructed by billboards block implies complete obstruction to passage or progress. a landslide blocked the road

Examples of obstruct in a Sentence

A large tree obstructed the road. A piece of food obstructed his airway and caused him to stop breathing. She was charged with obstructing police. She was charged with obstructing justice by lying to investigators.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Judiciary Committee could move swiftly to ask a judge to order testimony from McGahn, who was a key witness in Mueller’s investigation into whether Trump obstructed justice during the probe. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "House votes to enforce McGahn, Barr subpoenas," 11 June 2019 Take special counsel Robert Mueller’s statement on May 29 about his investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections and whether Trump obstructed justice by impeding this work. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "In the Trump era, the lawyer jokes are on us," 31 May 2019 Manafort later pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy against the US and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice and is now cooperating with the Mueller investigation. — Alex Ward, Vox, "Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s future in question," 24 Sep. 2018 The two were charged with trespassing and obstructing official business, according to WKYC. — Scott Berson, charlotteobserver, "Train-hoppers call 911 clinging to locomotive: ‘It’s going really, really fast!’," 12 July 2018 As Mueller reaches the president's inner circle, though, the investigation, not Trump's urge to obstruct it, emerges as the most significant obstacle to the implementation of the Republican agenda. — Jay Willis, GQ, "Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell Aren't Going to Protect Robert Mueller," 10 Apr. 2018 Looking north, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument stands tall with no buildings to obstruct it. — Shari Rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "One-of-a-kind view for $1.5M: Downtown Victorian gem with 2 homes and modern touches," 16 Mar. 2018 Certainly, that should scare Trump, a president who has seemingly sought to obstruct justice. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why We Need a Tough President Like Kamala Harris," 9 May 2019 When his anti-Trump texts were discovered, Mueller removed him from the investigation into Russia meddling, whether anyone close to Trump colluded in it and whether Trump sought to obstruct the probe. — Billy House, Bloomberg.com, "FBI's Strzok Says He'll Testify to Congress on Anti-Trump Texts," 18 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'obstruct.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.