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

And other roadblocks popped up as the county and the school bounced ideas back and forth, including the department’s nixing a demonstration of the drafted Dewey Drive improvements, Miller said. —Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026

Despite the bureaucratic roadblocks, wind projects are still coming online. —Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 7 May 2026

So either expand the wheel to include streamers alongside the broadcast networks, renew the plan already in place — or go with gusto for my roadblock idea. —Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 May 2026

The order removes a potential roadblock to Louisiana Republicans’ plans to immediately redraw their map and potentially give the party a pickup opportunity for the midterms. —Ella Lee, The Hill, 6 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