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

In response to the city clearing out the Cedar Avenue occupation, the activist organizations behind the blockades complained on social media about MPD officers dismantling three different roadblocks. —Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 4 Feb. 2026

Environmental justice advocates say that, in the past, vulnerable communities viewed the federal government as an ally to overcome roadblocks with local and state governments to access resources. —Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026

The approach to managing traffic was short-lived as the Minneapolis Public Works and police cleared debris and homemade roadblocks. —Ubah Ali, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026

However, Tesla faces a critical roadblock in attempting this shift in production, as most of Optimus’s components are made in China. —Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Feb. 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