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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of blockades
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Some of that conflict has been out in the open, with bombs and blockades, but some of it has been invisible.
—
Erika Beras,
NPR,
17 June 2026
For now, traffic through the strait is likely to remain minimal with both blockades remaining in effect until the deal is formally signed on Friday.
—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
The ceasefire period has been punctuated by intermittent fighting and dueling blockades in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the vital shipping lane choked off by the conflict.
—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
10 June 2026
Supply is constrained by the on-again, off-again blockades and agitation in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as by Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil capacity.
—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2026
Although security forces have used tear gas to disperse demonstrators and arrested over 120 people, Paz has so far resisted calls to deploy greater force to break the blockades.
—
ABC News,
27 May 2026
The deal is expected to open the Strait of Hormuz, lifting the blockades imposed by both Iran and the United States.
—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
The flotilla, involving nearly 500 activists from 45 countries, revives questions over enforcing blockades in international waters amid Gaza’s deepening humanitarian crisis and a fragile, frequently violated ceasefire.
—
Suzan Fraser,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 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
Road blockades have caused shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies in parts of the country and ground the economy to a halt over the past 50 days.
—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Some of that conflict has been out in the open, with bombs and blockades, but some of it has been invisible.
—
Erika Beras,
NPR,
17 June 2026
For now, traffic through the strait is likely to remain minimal with both blockades remaining in effect until the deal is formally signed on Friday.
—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
The ceasefire period has been punctuated by intermittent fighting and dueling blockades in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the vital shipping lane choked off by the conflict.
—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
10 June 2026
Supply is constrained by the on-again, off-again blockades and agitation in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as by Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil capacity.
—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2026
Although security forces have used tear gas to disperse demonstrators and arrested over 120 people, Paz has so far resisted calls to deploy greater force to break the blockades.
—
ABC News,
27 May 2026
The deal is expected to open the Strait of Hormuz, lifting the blockades imposed by both Iran and the United States.
—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
The flotilla, involving nearly 500 activists from 45 countries, revives questions over enforcing blockades in international waters amid Gaza’s deepening humanitarian crisis and a fragile, frequently violated ceasefire.
—
Suzan Fraser,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 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
-
Which is why many Americans have begun to tire of the sieges in their communities.
-
As in traditional sieges, the focus is on the vulnerable flow of supplies rather than a defended position.
Verb
-
The Wolverines signed two other top-50 prospects in forwards Quinn Costello and Lincoln Cosby, plus guards Joseph Hartman and Malachi Brown and center Marcus Moller, a 7-foot-3 prospect from Denmark.
-
Trailing 104-97, Knicks guards Jose Alvarado and Brunson answered with back-to-back 3s, cutting the score to 104-103.
Verb
-
Chevalier, who’s running with the vocal support of Mayor Mamdani, attacks Espaillat as being too moderate and a supporter of Israel.
-
But what if Iran’s proxy Hezbollah attacks Israel?
Cite this Entry
“Blockades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockades. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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