as in sieges
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 guards
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 besieges
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 blockades
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 1 May 2026
His capture provoked at least eight highway blockades by criminal groups on the highways surrounding the border city of Reynosa.
—CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
In the ensuring weeks, Tehran and Washington launched mutual blockades on the waterway, with Iran attacking non-allied vessels and the US targeting ships from Iranian ports.
—Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Some naval blockades over the course of history have had an impact, such as Britain's blockade on Germany during World War I.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
While the area experienced a two-day outbreak of retaliatory violence and road blockades earlier this year following the killing of a drug cartel leader by the government, no international tourists were harmed during the incidents and Puerto Vallarta is by all accounts back to business as usual.
—Carole Dixon, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
This, the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the idea may well have been inspired by recent activities in the Strait of Hormuz, which showed how vulnerable strategic waterways can be to blockades of this nature.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
Energy blockades are acts of war.
—Marc Champion, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Here are three lessons learned from the history of naval blockades.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
As the United States military blockades the Strait of Hormuz fuel prices rose above $100 dollars a barrel.
—Contessa Brewer,dawn Giel, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
His death sparked civil unrest in Puerto Vallarta and more than a dozen Mexican states, including Quintana Roo, with cars set on fire and blockades obstructing highways.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
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
Noun
But as the strike dragged on some workers were desperate to make ends meet and ready to cross the picket line, dividing a community already betrayed by a once progressive company and roiled by blockades, riots, and the intervention of the National Guard.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 1 May 2026
His capture provoked at least eight highway blockades by criminal groups on the highways surrounding the border city of Reynosa.
—CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
In the ensuring weeks, Tehran and Washington launched mutual blockades on the waterway, with Iran attacking non-allied vessels and the US targeting ships from Iranian ports.
—Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Some naval blockades over the course of history have had an impact, such as Britain's blockade on Germany during World War I.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
While the area experienced a two-day outbreak of retaliatory violence and road blockades earlier this year following the killing of a drug cartel leader by the government, no international tourists were harmed during the incidents and Puerto Vallarta is by all accounts back to business as usual.
—Carole Dixon, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
This, the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the idea may well have been inspired by recent activities in the Strait of Hormuz, which showed how vulnerable strategic waterways can be to blockades of this nature.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
Energy blockades are acts of war.
—Marc Champion, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Here are three lessons learned from the history of naval blockades.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
There's no question that the United States has a credible threat of force, but the blockade really blockades ourselves as well as Iran.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
As the United States military blockades the Strait of Hormuz fuel prices rose above $100 dollars a barrel.
—Contessa Brewer,dawn Giel, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
His death sparked civil unrest in Puerto Vallarta and more than a dozen Mexican states, including Quintana Roo, with cars set on fire and blockades obstructing highways.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blockades
Noun
-
However, Birru said the sieges were not fully broken.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Now requests are arriving steadily from New York, Maine, and Milan, other locales bracing for their own sieges.—
Kathryn Savage,
Artforum,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The property got its start as a villa and still guards that intimate, private feel while providing thoughtful hotel amenities like a gym, a yoga deck, and in-room spa services.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Apr. 2026
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Washington might consider restoring the Fulbright Program, and work on better coordination between the US State Department, which issues visas, and Homeland Security, which guards entry points.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hantavirus is a rare but deadly disease that attacks the lungs and is typically contracted by humans through inhalation of particles contaminated with the urine, feces or saliva of a wild rodent.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
Sebastian Gorka, the senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council, said an immediate example would be for other countries to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran attacks commercial shipping.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blockades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockades. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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