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
Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 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
The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority did not immediately respond to a Free Press follow-up inquiry about the presence of physical blockades to block incoming traffic at the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
—Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 22 Oct. 2025
The crux will be whether Taiwan can operate, reconstitute, and adapt these weapons systems under actual fire, when blockades, cyberattacks, and massed PLA strikes stress every node of the island’s defense network.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2025
In response, local tourism companies clashed, generating blockades and halting services that marooned global travelers in Aguas Calientes, the remote gateway town where buses snake through the Andes toward the 15th-century Inca citadel.
—Mark Johanson, Outside, 25 Sep. 2025
Capable of holding up to 1,500 tons of water, these cavernous containers would’ve been vital to the survival of a city that had few natural sources of H2O — especially when Alexander the Great was mounting blockades.
—Barry Neild, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
Security forces deployed across the country to try to remove any blockades as fast as possible, officials said, meaning that France was, for now, not blocked.
—Stephane Mahe, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Its call for a day of blockades, strikes, boycotts, demonstrations and other acts of protest came as Bayrou was preparing plans to massively slash public spending by $51 billion to rein in France's growing deficit and trillions in debts.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
Crime and unrest have become major concerns in Mali after militants in Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, imposed blockades on fuel imports—resulting in ongoing armed conflict, nationwide fuel shortages, and the closure of schools and universities.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 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
The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority did not immediately respond to a Free Press follow-up inquiry about the presence of physical blockades to block incoming traffic at the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
—Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 22 Oct. 2025
The crux will be whether Taiwan can operate, reconstitute, and adapt these weapons systems under actual fire, when blockades, cyberattacks, and massed PLA strikes stress every node of the island’s defense network.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2025
In response, local tourism companies clashed, generating blockades and halting services that marooned global travelers in Aguas Calientes, the remote gateway town where buses snake through the Andes toward the 15th-century Inca citadel.
—Mark Johanson, Outside, 25 Sep. 2025
Capable of holding up to 1,500 tons of water, these cavernous containers would’ve been vital to the survival of a city that had few natural sources of H2O — especially when Alexander the Great was mounting blockades.
—Barry Neild, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
Security forces deployed across the country to try to remove any blockades as fast as possible, officials said, meaning that France was, for now, not blocked.
—Stephane Mahe, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Its call for a day of blockades, strikes, boycotts, demonstrations and other acts of protest came as Bayrou was preparing plans to massively slash public spending by $51 billion to rein in France's growing deficit and trillions in debts.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
-
Climb the fortress trail to San Giovanni—a crumbling hilltop citadel that once guarded the city from Ottoman sieges—where the vistas stretch like a myth across fjord-like waters.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
-
So in the worst sieges in Syria, people could smuggle themselves in and out.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
According to a team press release, Utah has cut floor-stretching center Mo Bamba plus guards Pedro Bradshaw and Sean East II, just days prior to the start of Utah's season.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
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The edit suite looks like a dorm room, full of fanboy figurines like a life-size Funko Pop of Stranger Things’ protagonist Eleven (played by Millie Bobby Brown) that guards the front door in her blonde wig, clutching her favorite snack, Eggo waffles.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But there are many other threats out there, like the evil wizard Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu) who attacks Yennefer’s forces in the climactic Battle of Montecalvo.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Some people worry that flu shots increase the risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a serious but rare disorder in which the immune system attacks nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis.—
Liz Szabo,
NBC news,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blockades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockades. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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