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
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
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Recent Examples of blockade
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 20 Jan. 2026
Buses, taxis, private vehicles, bikes, delivery trucks, street vendors, and pedestrians, jockey around terrorism blockades, trees, sewers, garbage storage, and sidewalks — all competing for space.
—Amy Chester, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2025
Britain was France’s most persistent opponent and was determined to control the seas, especially in the face of Napoleon’s efforts to blockade the country.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blockade
Noun
Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina has already signaled a potential blockade, vowing to oppose any nominee until the DOJ investigation is fully resolved.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 20 Jan. 2026
Buses, taxis, private vehicles, bikes, delivery trucks, street vendors, and pedestrians, jockey around terrorism blockades, trees, sewers, garbage storage, and sidewalks — all competing for space.
—Amy Chester, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
Verb
To test if this really was a White House operation, Grace and I followed one of the trucks out of the golf course, past the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, to a path that normally leads to the White House but was blockaded.
—Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2025
Britain was France’s most persistent opponent and was determined to control the seas, especially in the face of Napoleon’s efforts to blockade the country.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blockade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blockade
Noun
-
Winter Storm Fern may have laid siege across the East Coast, but even a blizzard couldn’t put a dampener on the beloved Whitney Art Party.—
Gaby Keiderling,
Vogue,
28 Jan. 2026
-
This park commemorates the campaign, siege, and defense of Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1863, a pivotal moment in the Civil War.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But her mother guards her fiercely, because even the most minor imbalance in her small, cloistered world could bring the seizures back again.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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After nearly two decades of on-off negotiations, the deal will pave the way for India to open up its vast and guarded market to free trade with the 27-nation EU, its biggest trading partner.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Windy City is suddenly besieged by a string of bomb threats, but in the midst of all the false alarms, a real situation emerges in the form of military-grade smoke grenades, which points to a terrorist threat.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
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Halladay said she’s heard from multiple doctors, including her child’s pediatrician, that they’ve been besieged with calls from parents hoping to get a prescription.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In severe cases, the virus can attack parts of the brain that control basic life functions like eye movement, heart rate and blood pressure, causing permanent damage.—
Michal Ruprecht,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Ukraine's air force said that Russia attacked overnight with one ballistic missile and 146 strike drones, 103 of which were shot down or destroyed using electronic warfare.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The suspect beat the victim with a construction sign and then continued to assault the victim using the victim's bicycle.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Citizens have had their front doors blown out, been hit with pepper balls for praying outside government facilities, been wrongfully charged with assaulting agents, and have seen their identification papers dismissed as fake and thus grounds for detainment.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blockade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockade. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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