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
NPR, 30 Oct. 2025
China, the most dangerous party, has militarized the strait, launching large military drills simulating blockades of the island and daily incursions across the median line.
—Stephen Wertheim, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2025
Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2025
The education ministry said around 100 schools were disrupted and 27 fully blockaded.
—Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blockade
Noun
The year and a half long blockade of some 250,000 civilians has led to starvation and famine.
—NPR, 30 Oct. 2025
China, the most dangerous party, has militarized the strait, launching large military drills simulating blockades of the island and daily incursions across the median line.
—Stephen Wertheim, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet blockaded Ukrainian ports, occupied Snake Island, and threatened Odessa, the country’s main coastal city.
—Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2025
The education ministry said around 100 schools were disrupted and 27 fully blockaded.
—Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blockade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blockade
Noun
-
On Translation Muhammad Shehada chronicles the history of the decades-long siege on the people of Gaza.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
El Fasher, the capital of Sudan's North Darfur state, was the last major holdout in the wider western Darfur region, under total siege for more than 18 months before falling to the RSF.—
Guy Davies,
ABC News,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The slick lobby was guarded by uniformed doormen and the elevator took me to a long polished corridor leading to a big mahogany door.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
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The podcast allows Kylie to walk the line between sharing details about her family and guarding her privacy.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The San Francisco 49ers continue to be besieged by significant injuries for the second season in a row.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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Meanwhile, Earth itself is suddenly besieged by an alien invasion.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In October alone, shoppers were attacked in a supermarket, a Spanish tourist was scratched by a cub at a heritage site, and a trail runner was forced to wrestle a bear in the woods before sprinting to safety.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles into Israel in response and attacked the Middle East's largest American military base in Qatar.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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An 88-year-old Seattle woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after a man violently assaulted and robbed her, biting off her finger and stealing her jewelry, police say.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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In video of the event shared on social media, several members of the audience could be seen physically assaulting one of the activists who lit a red flare.—
Philippe Cordier,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blockade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockade. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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