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
Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Each day, hundreds of trucks carrying food and humanitarian aid would be allowed to enter Gaza, where experts say a nearly three-month Israeli blockade — slightly eased in recent days — has pushed the population to the brink of famine.
—Abdel Kareem Hana, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
Arkansas Online, 20 Apr. 2025
Israel also has blockaded Gaza for the last six weeks, barring the entry of food, medicine and other goods.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blockade
Noun
And on June 15, activist groups will be staging massive protests across several countries, with marches, picketing at airports, tour bus blockades and more expected.
—Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Each day, hundreds of trucks carrying food and humanitarian aid would be allowed to enter Gaza, where experts say a nearly three-month Israeli blockade — slightly eased in recent days — has pushed the population to the brink of famine.
—Abdel Kareem Hana, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
Verb
Israel also has blockaded Gaza for the past six weeks, again barring the entry of food and other goods.
—Arkansas Online, 20 Apr. 2025
Israel also has blockaded Gaza for the last six weeks, barring the entry of food, medicine and other goods.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blockade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blockade
Noun
-
Israel launched its siege of Gaza after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killed 1,200 Israelis.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
-
Congress hasn’t so much been defeated as surrendered, one majority at a time — and Trump is intent on taking all the spoils won by his predecessors’ 50-year siege.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Then guard Courtney Vandersloot drove up the court after a Fever turnover, lunged toward the basket with the ball in her hands and crashed directly into Aari McDonald.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2025
-
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started distributing food boxes on May 26 at three hubs guarded by private contractors inside Israeli military zones.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
Imagine an aircraft carrier group besieged by a thousand drones in the Persian Gulf or Arabian Sea.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2025
-
Cable news is besieged on one side by changing user behavior and on the other by unforgiving economics — one eroding attention, the other bleeding resources.—
Andy Meek,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Her dad drove to Boulder to attack the protest three days later, according to investigators.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
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After the quake evacuation, the inmates were still outside of the cells when a group suddenly attacked guards, seized their weapons, opened fire and fled, said Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan.—
Brittany Williams,
Arkansas Online,
4 June 2025
Verb
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He was initially charged with trespass, but Habba dropped that charge last month and charged McIver with two counts of assaulting officers stemming from her role in the skirmish at the facility’s gate. U.S. Magistrate Judge Andre Espinosa rebuked Habba’s office after moving to dismiss the charges.—
Mike Catalini,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
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Two percent said they had been physically assaulted.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blockade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockade. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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