as in blocked
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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
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Recent Examples of blockaded
Andrew P. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2025
In recent weeks, JNIM has effectively blockaded Bamako, targeting critical fuel convoys and supply lines.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
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
Israel has blockaded the water around Gaza, preventing boats and ships from delivering humanitarian aid.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025
As the attack unfolded, congregants blockaded themselves inside the synagogue, keeping Al-Shamie outside.
—Morgan Winsor, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2025
By the late 1940s, concerns shifted toward the threat posed by the Soviet Union, which stationed large military forces across Eastern Europe, staged a coup in Czechoslovakia and blockaded Berlin.
—John Deni, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
The education ministry said around 100 schools were disrupted and 27 fully blockaded.
—Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Just a few months prior, Blackbeard and his small pirate flotilla had blockaded Charleston, South Carolina, for close to a week.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
At first, Israel blockaded Gaza entirely, against the United States’ wishes.
—Andrew P. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2025
In recent weeks, JNIM has effectively blockaded Bamako, targeting critical fuel convoys and supply lines.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
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
Israel has blockaded the water around Gaza, preventing boats and ships from delivering humanitarian aid.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025
As the attack unfolded, congregants blockaded themselves inside the synagogue, keeping Al-Shamie outside.
—Morgan Winsor, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2025
By the late 1940s, concerns shifted toward the threat posed by the Soviet Union, which stationed large military forces across Eastern Europe, staged a coup in Czechoslovakia and blockaded Berlin.
—John Deni, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
The education ministry said around 100 schools were disrupted and 27 fully blockaded.
—Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Just a few months prior, Blackbeard and his small pirate flotilla had blockaded Charleston, South Carolina, for close to a week.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blockaded
Verb
-
Rather than social paranoia per se, people simply become exceedingly guarded and opt to turn off all external contact.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Part Two of the plan was going to a zone defense, and then finally, Lucas put muscular freshman Shelton Henderson on Okorie and face-guarded him and tried to take him out of the game.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The militants at the time besieged it for months before being pushed back.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
-
To watch Herbert’s film is like watching a report on a place that has subsequently been besieged.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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During the shooting, Arredondo made a decision to treat the gunman as a barricaded subject and not confront him for over an hour, even after it was confirmed children were trapped in a classroom with the shooter.—
Elise Hammond,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
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The police standoff at the Lithonia home lasted hours and ended with deputies shooting the barricaded suspect.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One study in 2020 surveyed 261 herders in Mongolia, another common habitat for snow leopards; while many reported having seen snow leopards, or had their livestock attacked by snow leopards, none reported any attacks on humans.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The upstream piranhas attacked her, and her blood flowing downstream attracted the rest of the piranhas, leaving the creek clear for the herd to cross.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In addition, the hearing highlighted the infamously congested airspace around the airport, where helicopters and planes have long intermingled in very close proximity despite safety concerns.—
Adam Carlson,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The table remains congested and everything can change quickly.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Depending on your vantage point, the band was often semi-obstructed or blocked from view.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Gone were the giant inflated Brown statues that appeared during recent Breezy Bowl shows (and at his Tycoon Music Festival appearance here in April), which prompted concertgoer complaints about obstructed views.—
Brian McCollum,
Freep.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blockaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockaded. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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