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 city has run into numerous roadblocks in trying to reopen the Hoover library’s doors, including having a 2023 grant application denied by the state because officials had not yet identified a potential site. —Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026

Recent weakness across the industry, however, could create a roadblock to broader adoption. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2026

Doing so would limit environmental roadblocks, speeding their construction. —Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026

When the governor ran into a roadblock in the House of Delegates or Senate, he was tempted to declare war. —Peter Jensen, Baltimore Sun, 14 Mar. 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