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 drug is a peptide, which is a small protein that works like a roadblock remover. —Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025

If both Prochazka and Pereira emerge victorious this weekend, there might be a roadblock for the Czech star. —Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025

Whitmer and panelists at the Detroit event amplified Farley’s call for real change, stressing that every American deserves a path—whether through apprenticeships or traditional higher education—and that removing roadblocks is crucial. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025

Activists have also employed civil disobedience tactics, like staging pop-up roadblocks in Serbian cities, to maintain pressure on the government. —Hanna Begić, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 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