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
Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Israel imposed another total blockade on Gaza in early March, and then broke the ceasefire with Hamas a few weeks later.
—Tom Bowman, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
New York Times, 7 July 2025
Looks like the oil industry is expecting the Strait to be blockaded in the coming days.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for blockade
Noun
Thunberg and Ávila were among the 12 activists kidnapped and detained when the aid boat Madleen was intercepted by Israeli forces on its way to break the blockade on Gaza in June 2025.
—Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Israel imposed another total blockade on Gaza in early March, and then broke the ceasefire with Hamas a few weeks later.
—Tom Bowman, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
While the pipeline had obtained an agreement with the leadership of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation elected under Canadian law, members of the community who recognize only hereditary leaders opposed having the pipeline on their land and blockaded a construction road in 2021.
—New York Times, 7 July 2025
Looks like the oil industry is expecting the Strait to be blockaded in the coming days.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for blockade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blockade
Noun
-
The West Bank, without even the pretext of a Hamas presence, is under a state of dual siege.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The storm and resulting fires drew comparisons to the devastating lightning siege of August 2020, when a summer lightning storm ignited the North Complex, LNU Lightning Complex and CZU Lightning Complex fires.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Strong support for keeping those requirements comes from existing homeowners guarding the value of their homes, their greatest investment, speakers said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 Sep. 2025
-
In 2021, linebacker Nick Bolton, center Creed Humphrey and guard Trey Smith started.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
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Landslide in western Sudan kills at least 1,000 A landslide in western Sudan killed at least 1,000 people, intensifying hardship in a country besieged by years of civil war.—
Tasneem Nashrulla,
semafor.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Mastantuono, 18, has the characteristics to contribute from a deeper position, but his signing was intended for more attacking areas, as is being seen.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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An elderly Arkansas man is in the hospital after a black bear attacked him in Franklin County on Wednesday.—
Kris Millgate,
Outdoor Life,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Another man charged with assaulting former Arizona Coyotes hockey player Paul Bissonnette has accepted a plea deal, according to court records.—
Wren Smetana,
AZCentral.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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That rich and powerful people are going to be held to account for assaulting underaged girls.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blockade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockade. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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