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

The gift will also aid renovation projects and a reserve fund to address potential roadblocks such as a government shutdown. —Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025

Financial roadblocks standing in the way Many are navigating a unique economic moment where both median home and rental prices, for example, have risen at a faster pace than wages for roughly two decades. —Elena Moore, NPR, 31 Oct. 2025

China, that whole situation, that roadblock is gone now, there’s no roadblock at all on rare earth. —Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025

But as with all things AI-related, one of the biggest roadblocks is data. —Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025

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