roadblock

noun

road·​block ˈrōd-ˌbläk How to pronounce roadblock (audio)
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
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.
But the billionaire was met with an unlikely roadblock: a rare species of bees were discovered on the land earmarked for the infrastructure, according to theFinancial Times. Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 Logan ran into procedural roadblocks but eventually got a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, a master’s in education and doctorate in philosophy at the university. Scott Huddleston, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Oct. 2024 There may also be technological roadblocks to change, experts said. Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2024 Nathan Howard | Bloomberg | Getty Images Technology companies’ push to directly power artificial intelligence with nuclear plants hit a major roadblock, after a federal regulator rejected a request to increase power for an Amazon data center. Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for roadblock 

Word History

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of roadblock was in 1913

Dictionary Entries Near roadblock

Cite this Entry

“Roadblock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roadblock. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

roadblock

noun
road·​block -ˌbläk How to pronounce roadblock (audio)
: 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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