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

But moves still require City Council approval, a necessity that suddenly appeared to be a potential roadblock when Ald. —Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026

The roadblock comes ahead of an April 17 deadline for lawmakers to advance budget bills out of committee in their chamber of origin. —Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 15 Apr. 2026

Martin said the government can learn from the protests, but defended the response by police and military to clear roadblocks at the country’s sole oil refinery at Whitegate in County Cork and at several depots. —Brian Melley, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026

The link between fatty muscles and knee pain Fat cells weaken muscles by serving as a roadblock to growth, preventing muscle fibers from properly regenerating. —Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 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