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

Several commissioners have raised questions about how the center would be funded in future years, but no one has been more outspoken in throwing up roadblocks designed to keep the center from opening than Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins. —Jim Defede, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026

When set and centered, Proctor is a roadblock to speed-to-power charges. —Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials have uncovered how lithium dendrites trigger fractures inside solid-state batteries, a finding that could help solve one of the biggest roadblocks facing next-generation energy storage. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026

But the rally is facing a potential roadblock in the company’s first-quarter earnings report due after the close Thursday. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 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