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
Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2025
For months, their blockade created a growing backlog of qualified, bipartisan nominees.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 7 Oct. 2025
Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Road blockades, traffic slowdowns and other protests were widespread – from the southern port city of Marseille to Lille and Caen in the north, and from Nantes and Rennes in the west to Grenoble and Lyon in the southeast.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blockade
Noun
The crux will be whether Taiwan can operate, reconstitute, and adapt these weapons systems under actual fire, when blockades, cyberattacks, and massed PLA strikes stress every node of the island’s defense network.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2025
For months, their blockade created a growing backlog of qualified, bipartisan nominees.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
The education ministry said around 100 schools were disrupted and 27 fully blockaded.
—Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Road blockades, traffic slowdowns and other protests were widespread – from the southern port city of Marseille to Lille and Caen in the north, and from Nantes and Rennes in the west to Grenoble and Lyon in the southeast.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blockade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blockade
Noun
-
In a time of constant siege and bombardment, people feared that public dissent would be weaponized by Israel.—
Mohammed R. Mhawish,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The siege has spread hunger and disease in the city and relentless drone and artillery strikes have hit displacement shelters, mosques, and hospitals and clinics.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Rulers, by contrast, tend to jealously guard their dignity.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
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Kings guard DeMar DeRozan, a future Hall of Famer who ranks 25th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, agreed with Schroder’s assessment.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Since its municipal establishment in 2018, Roku City has been a metropolis intermittently besieged by mythical creatures including a kraken, a big robot, and a Godzilla-like kaiju.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
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She is besieged on all sides—by her in-laws, by social workers, by untreated psychosis—and yet in possession of a terrible freedom.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the game, Elliott operated as the right ‘No 10’ (attacking midfielder), passing neatly and playing well in a first half that only offered promise in spurts.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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All patients were treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, a type of immunotherapy drugs that help the immune system recognize and attack tumor cells more effectively.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Routh, 59, was charged on five federal criminal counts, including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearms offenses.—
Anders Hagstrom , Lucas Y. Tomlinson,
FOXNews.com,
19 Oct. 2025
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The nonviolent protest at the Common on Saturday took place after last week’s pro-Palestinian rally in which protesters assaulted Boston Police officers, one of whom suffered a broken nose that required reconstructive surgery.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blockade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockade. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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