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Definition of blocknext
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as in head
slang the upper or front part of the body that contains the brain, the major sense organs, and the mouth threatened to knock the block off the jerk next door if he didn't can the noise

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in side
a group of people acting together within a larger group a more conservative block within the political party

Synonyms & Similar Words

5

block

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verb (1)

1
as in to fill
to close up so that no empty spaces remain block up the opening in the wall where a window once was

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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3
as in to intercept
to stop, seize, or interrupt while in progress or on course a thug suddenly stepped out of a doorway and blocked his escape down the alley

Synonyms & Similar Words

block (off)

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verb (2)

as in to guard
to disallow entry into (a place) by means of a physical barrier at the entry point the square is temporarily blocked off for the street fair

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb block contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of block are hinder, impede, and obstruct. While all these words mean "to interfere with the activity or progress of," block implies complete obstruction to passage or progress.

a landslide blocked the road

When might hinder be a better fit than block?

While the synonyms hinder and block are close in meaning, hinder stresses causing harmful or annoying delay or interference with progress.

rain hindered the climb

In what contexts can impede take the place of block?

In some situations, the words impede and block are roughly equivalent. However, impede implies making forward progress difficult by clogging, hampering, or fettering.

tight clothing that impedes movement

When would obstruct be a good substitute for block?

The meanings of obstruct and block largely overlap; however, obstruct implies interfering with something in motion or in progress by the sometimes intentional placing of obstacles in the way.

the view was obstructed by billboards

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of block
Noun
Launching the plan means the district spending money on training for teachers and materials like play kitchens, bookshelves, blocks and easels. Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026 By 1931, the enterprise filled a city block. Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Verb
Here’s what crew members and frequent flyers want passengers to know about navigating bathrooms on airplanes without getting stuck in a line, blocking service or running afoul of the seat belt sign. Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026 Another group of oral antihistamines, called H2 antihistamines, block histamine in receptors mostly found in your stomach. Ruth Jessen Hickman, Health, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for block
Recent Examples of Synonyms for block
Noun
  • Yarrow Don’t let the delicate appearance of the tiny flower clusters that characterize yarrow fool you—this is one hardy perennial.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
  • Supercells, which are rotating thunderstorms, could form first, then merge into larger clusters or storm complexes, the National Weather Service said.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • Autonomy in this case involves being able to reach destinations by using camera images to navigate around obstacles such as craters and pits without the involvement of mission control.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 13 June 2026
  • Despite the obstacles, anticipation has been building across the capital.
    Reuters, NBC news, 13 June 2026
Noun
  • From the Neolithic rock art of what is now Libya to ancient Egypt, China and India, to medieval and Renaissance Europe, creatures at borderlands of what was taken to be civilization were represented as cynocephalic, that is, humans with dog heads.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
  • In the gallery, Austin's brother, Hunter Metcalf, lowered his head into his hands, visibly shaken.
    Doug Myers, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Noun
  • On the drama side of guest actor, the category was nearly steady at 84, down three from 87, while guest drama actress saw the cycle’s sharpest guest decline, falling to 51 from 77.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 12 June 2026
  • Though Ohtani underwent surgery on the same knee in 2019, that was to address bipartite patella, on the other side of the knee.
    Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Noun
  • And the citizenship question, the birthright-citizenship question, is part of that effort to federalize power such that a confederacy, a secession or anything like it, could never happen again.
    David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
  • Speakers said the spot was once the temple of the confederacy and became holy ground of the civil rights movement.
    Kim Chandler, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Verb
  • There was fruit, sandwiches, kimbap, beer, and cigarettes—enough to fill the day in quiet peace.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
  • Studio had some formidable shoes to fill, replacing the eponymous and long-beloved French fine-dining institution that had defined special-occasion fine dining in Laguna Beach for more than twenty years.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026
Verb
  • Eight people were arrested on charges of assaulting police officers, criminal possession of a weapon, menacing, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration, according to the NYPD.
    Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 9 June 2026
  • Zabel is also accused of obstructing the roadway.
    Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
Verb
  • Bahrain's military said today its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed a number of aerial attacks from Iran.
    Sarah Dean, NBC news, 12 June 2026
  • Paper was scarce during the war, so the boy would roust himself out of bed early and intercept the delivery of newspapers and magazines, going at their blank margins with his pencil, drawing figures, cartoons, landscapes, whatever struck his fancy.
    Mark Rozzo, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Block.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/block. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.

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