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

That could be a roadblock to any potential deal. —Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026

In alloys, the impurities act as roadblocks that heat helps the metal overcome. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026

DiZoglio ran into this latest roadblock set by Judges Brieger and Blake last week, taking to social media to air her frustrations. —Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2026

If there are legislative roadblocks to expanding the use of AI in schools, those should be eliminated. —Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 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