obstruct

verb

ob·​struct əb-ˈstrəkt How to pronounce obstruct (audio)
äb-
obstructed; obstructing; obstructs

transitive verb

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.
obstructive adjective or noun
obstructiveness noun
obstructor 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Just two months earlier, Washington imposed sanctions on 16 other high-ranking officials accused of obstructing the vote and human rights violations. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024 Persist in your quest for clarity, because after Mercury’s direct station on December 15, more solutions will be available, even if the road is still obstructed for you somewhat. Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Nov. 2024 The charges included conspiracy to obstruct justice and 32 counts of willful retention of national defense information. Niall Stanage, The Hill, 25 Nov. 2024 The Associated Press said ambulances and other emergency vehicles were seen turning around after being obstructed by these makeshift roadblocks. Mushtaq Yusufzai, NBC News, 25 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for obstruct 

Word History

Etymology

Latin obstructus, past participle of obstruere, from ob- in the way + struere to build, heap up — more at ob-, strew

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of obstruct was in 1590

Dictionary Entries Near obstruct

Cite this Entry

“Obstruct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obstruct. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

obstruct

verb
ob·​struct əb-ˈstrəkt How to pronounce obstruct (audio)
äb-
1
: to close up by an obstacle
a fallen tree obstructed the roadway
2
: to be or get in the way of : hinder
lying to the police obstructs justice

Medical Definition

obstruct

transitive verb
ob·​struct əb-ˈstrəkt, äb- How to pronounce obstruct (audio)
: to block or close up by an obstacle
veins obstructed by clots

More from Merriam-Webster on obstruct

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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