blockade 1 of 2

as in siege
the cutting off of an area by military means to stop the flow of people or supplies it was the blockade of all the enemy's major ports that finally won the war

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

blockade

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to guard
to disallow entry into (a place) by means of a physical barrier at the entry point the militant protestors blockaded the whole area around city hall

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to besiege
to surround (as a fortified place) with armed forces for the purpose of capturing or preventing commerce and communication blockaded the city until it surrendered

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of blockade
Noun
The road was the site of an international crisis when Baku accused Armenia of smuggling landmines and other weapons into the enclave through the road, implementing a months-long blockade in response. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2025 During checkpoint blockade therapy, lymph nodes are where the big T cell expansion starts, fueling the body-wide immune attack. New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
By the late 1940s, concerns shifted toward the threat posed by the Soviet Union, which stationed large military forces across Eastern Europe, staged a coup in Czechoslovakia and blockaded Berlin. John Deni, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025 But others describe the reality of the early weeks, where discussion was completely hampered by Israel's insistence on fully blockading aid into Gaza. Tom Bowman, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for blockade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blockade
Noun
  • The secondary route is a battle upward from the city of Ephyra to Mount Olympus to learn who is aiding Chronos in his siege of the mortal realm and quell it.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Petro has repeatedly described Israel’s siege of Gaza as genocide.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • With just one starter back from a season ago — guard Kylan Blackmon — Fearne has his work cut out for him.
    Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
  • The five players who the Heat currently has signed to Exhibit 10 contracts are forward Dain Dainja, guard Trevor Keels, guard Gabe Madsen, guard Ethan Thompson and guard Jahmir Young.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Through the first-person narration of his protagonist, Nicholas, a teenager suddenly besieged by anxiety, Clune conveys with uncanny vividness what a panic attack feels like.
    Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Israel tried to take over Gaza City before in this war, besieging it and launching raids in its streets, but tens of thousands of people remained.
    Aya Batrawy, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Her ex and his friends attacked him with a baseball bat and tried to shove him in a washing machine at one of his dad’s laundromats.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
  • As the first crews began attacking the fire from inside the building, other crews were called in to make sure no one was inside.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Moroccan Association for Human Rights said dozens were arrested on Saturday, including some who were physically assaulted.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Brown, who also faces separate charges of assaulting a federal officer, remains in custody without bond, while Samane was released on $5,000 bond.
    Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blockade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockade. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on blockade

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!