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

Traffic moves along on a road at the junction Saint-Michel next to a roadblock, following reports of a coup attempt underway against the government of Benin's President Patrice Talon, in Cotonou, Benin, December 7, 2025. —CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025

Although Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have nominated individuals, the fact that Hamas is contributing to the process at all means that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to throw up roadblocks. —Daniel Depetris, Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2025

The agenda roadblock resulted from the resolution, crafted by Rebelein, regarding next steps for filling the vacant board position. —Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 5 Dec. 2025

Somalis face armed roadblocks in many areas, where terrorists or government troops extort money, and lawlessness and corruption occur on a daily basis. —Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 4 Dec. 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