blockaded 1 of 2

blockaded

2 of 2

verb

past tense of blockade
1
as in guarded
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 besieged
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

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 blockaded
Adjective
Prices have continued to decline since both sides signed an interim peace deal that agreed to reopen the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, which is used to transport around 20% of the world’s oil. Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Also Sunday, six people, including Bolivian Air Force officers, were killed in the crash of a light aircraft that had been conducting aerial patrols over a blockaded highway. ABC News, 21 June 2026 Goldman Sachs estimated that Qatar could see its GDP plunge by 14%, citing its lack of alternative export channels to the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 29 Apr. 2026 Australia, which relies directly or indirectly on the blockaded Strait of Hormuz for much of its energy imports, has halved fuel taxes and encouraged the use of public transportation amid soaring gas prices. Kevin Collier, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026 Cable news anchors pontificated on the possible environmental toll were the Al Salmi’s cargo of two million barrels of crude discharged into the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. Charlie Campbell, Time, 1 Apr. 2026 London — The world, hungry for oil, got a modest reprieve earlier this month when Saudi Arabia began diverting millions of barrels of crude —ordinarily destined for ships transiting the blockaded Strait of Hormuz — to its Red Sea port of Yanbu. Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
Iran’s proxies in the region, the Houthis, have since blockaded another strait – the Bab-al-Mandeb – challenging Saudi Arabia’s ability to export oil through that alternate route. David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026 During the early nineteen-eighties, when Paul Volcker, the chair of the Federal Reserve, raised interest rates to twenty per cent in the face of rampant inflation, furious farmers blockaded the Fed’s headquarters with their tractors. John Cassidy, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 Yanbu, Saudi Arabia’s main Red Sea oil port, has become a key route for Saudi oil skirting the Strait of Hormuz, ​which Iran has blockaded. Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 26 July 2026 Meanwhile, Lord Corlys Velaryon and his fleet have the city blockaded, while Team Black commands from Dragonstone and Daemon battles in the Riverlands and Aemond broods on the throne, which he’s taken from his maimed brother. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026 The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for the region’s oil and gas, was effectively blockaded since the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran in late February. Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 25 June 2026 That blockaded chokepoint has sent energy prices and overall inflation soaring worldwide in recent months. Tristan Bove, Fortune, 17 June 2026 Gang federations such as the G9, for example, has blockaded access to ports and restricted access to gasoline and diesel supplies, while other groups, including the 5 Segonn gang, have periodically blocked access to the private Port Lafito. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026 For more than a week, the country’s teacher’s union has blockaded roads and toppled World Cup statues in an annual push to win better working conditions. ABC News, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blockaded
Adjective
  • Wilton Manors police arrested a man at an apartment complex after an armed robbery call escalated into a barricaded standoff on Thursday evening, officials say.
    Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Police respond to the area of 15th Street and Beach Boulevard, near the courthouse and civic center, to a barricaded suspect believed to be armed on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 in Westminster.
    Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Dan Lawlor, who was one of the people who guarded the door, took the stand previously.
    Matt Schooley, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Mice predisposed to retinal disease were being guarded and watched, around the clock, like tiny celebrities.
    E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The second was navigating a WNBA game with a lineup besieged by injury.
    James Boyd, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • An American’s home is among those besieged by Israeli settlers.
    Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Beyond the fighting, Bouchard said authorities noticed a slight increase in drivers performing burnouts and speeding along the heavily congested Woodward Avenue corridor.
    Gino Vicci, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Essential oil blends like Natural Riches Breathe Synergy Blend can provide relief from congested sinuses and stuffiness.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Evidence publicly presented in the Clancy case indicates Lindsay was the only adult at the family home when investigators believe the children were attacked.
    Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The Defense Ministry in Bucharest said that so far this year, Russia had attacked targets close to Romania's frontier 54 times, representing a significant increase on the 28 attacks close to the border in all of 2025.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Following the complaints about obstructed views, Bills team executives told the media that many of those seats are being sold for events like concerts, not games.
    Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The obstructed view and small video boards are by far the biggest complaints, and here is a small bit of what was being said.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • However, that deal fell apart after the US unleashed a fresh wave of attacks on Iran in mid-July, following Iranian strikes on vessels in the choked Strait of Hormuz.
    Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • San Franciscans who think Muni buses are always packed, or prone to crawl along choked streets, may find their views validated in a new slide presentation released by the Municipal Transportation Agency.
    Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Blockaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockaded. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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