roadblock

noun

road·​block ˈrōd-ˌbläk 

1

a

: a barricade often with traps or mines for holding up an enemy at a point on a road covered by fire

b

: a road barricade set up especially by law enforcement officers

2

: an obstruction in a road

3

: something that blocks progress or prevents accomplishment of an objective

roadblock transitive verb

Examples of roadblock in a Sentence

That's the one roadblock to the plan.

roadblocks on the path to success

Recent Examples on the Web

Platner has dug in on his military background when pitching himself to voters, but resurfaced posts from a Reddit account have created a roadblock for the candidate. —Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026

Those roadblocks include confusing portals, privacy concerns, outdated devices, spotty internet and hard-to-follow health information. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs documented 925 checkpoints, barriers or roadblocks across the West Bank at the end of 2025. —Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 27 May 2026

Travel ball begins in June, and that’s the big roadblock for softball, with many coaches and players participating. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for roadblock

• alcock
• beanstalk
• bedrock
• boardwalk
• catwalk
• cornstalk
• crosswalk
• deadlock
• feedstock
• fetlock
• flintlock
• goshawk

Kids Definition

roadblock

noun

road·​block -ˌbläk 

: a blocking of a road (as by police officers)

Legal Definition

roadblock

noun

road·​block

: a road barricade set up by law enforcement officers especially for the purpose of detecting criminal activity