BARRIER Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

barrier

noun

ˈber-ē-ər

Definition of barrier

as in wall

a physical object that blocks the way there was a big barrier plastered with signs saying "Keep Out" around the trash compactor

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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 barrier One of the biggest barriers to young drivers getting top-level opportunities was a lack of experience, often resulting in them not getting chances until their mid-to-late 20s. — Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026 Bruno Caratori, co-founder and COO of the crypto index manager Hashdex, said the harder barrier is comprehension, not code. — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Police barriers channeled traffic toward the crossing, and water cannons remained stationed nearby. — Suman Naishadham, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2026 To many people, especially here in America, making people safer means making cars larger or placing cement barriers and walls between different modes of traffic. — Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for barrier

Recent Examples of Synonyms for barrier

Noun

Derek Hill hit his head against the outfield railing while trying to make a leaping catch at the wall, and the ball caromed toward right field.

— CBS News, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Organizers also are paying to build 1,800 walls weighing 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms) each to ring the track and metal detectors that will be manned by the Secret Service.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of wall

Noun

Although the crossing appeared blocked, groups moved along the coast seeking routes around the fence.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
Its mixed population of Christians and Muslims, Spanish and Moroccan residents and day workers, lives in relative harmony behind a border fence that many desperate migrants from across Africa attempt to cross for a better life in Europe.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026

Definition of fence

Noun

Punk answered with a flying clothesline off the barricade and went right back to work on Cody’s arm.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Waiting by the nearby Tito’s barricade were JJ Strain, 24, and Megan Sites, 24, who had traveled from Iowa for the festival.

— Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of barricade

Noun

The Moon Will Steal The Show This year’s biggest obstacle won’t be clouds, but moonlight.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
Having spent decades watching powerful men evade justice, Nora is doubly determined to bring this one down, and regards Catherine’s vigilantism as an obstacle to a larger victory.

— Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026