blocks 1 of 2

plural of block
1
2
3
as in heads
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 factions
a group of people acting together within a larger group a more conservative block within the political party

Synonyms & Similar Words

5

blocks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of block
1
2
3
as in intercepts
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

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 blocks
Noun
In 1892, Andrew Borden and his wife, Abby, were murdered in broad daylight inside their Massachusetts home, just blocks from the town’s busy center. Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026 The Dolphins’ deep rookie class had its moments against the Raiders — between wide receiver Caleb Douglas’ 94 yards, linebacker Jacob Rodriguez’s 14 tackles, safety Michael Taaffe’s interception and left guard Kadyn Proctor’s pancake blocks. David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026 The fatal police shooting occurred at the home in the area of Johnson and Alice streets, less than two blocks south of Main Street and abut two blocks east of the Woodland Police Department. Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026 Kansas’ return unit did the rest, with Jaron Willis and Garrett Martin among the Jayhawks delivering key blocks that sealed the lane down the right sideline. Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 19 Sep. 2026 Sports teams often enjoyed long and beneficial relationships with brokers, who bought out blocks of season tickets. Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026 Best Things to Do The best of Kimmswick can be found in its compact downtown area, which is just 3x3 blocks. Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2026 Café Roval In 2017, Soyka opened his first restaurant in 17 years in the Morningside neighborhood, three blocks from his namesake location. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026 These are the essential building blocks of an effective system to deny China the ability to freely navigate the Taiwan Strait. Holmes Liao, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
Some told the Miami Herald that the ruling blocks the path to asylum and that the cases cannot be evaluated in a vacuum. Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026 Stopgap spending bill passes House The House voted yesterday to pass a stopgap government-funding bill that temporarily blocks the White House’s proposal to give political appointees more control over federal research grants. Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 2 Sep. 2026 Julian Rauch’s 24-yard field goal with 26 seconds left puts the Mountaineers ahead of the Wolverines and Corey Lynch blocks a field goal in the final seconds to seal one of college football’s biggest upsets. Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 If heat control window film blocks enough solar energy to lower indoor temperatures even slightly, your AC does not cycle as often. Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026 The effect essentially gives Roman a parking spot in space, enabling engineers on Earth to remain in constant contact with the telescope, while making sure Earth never blocks its view of the cosmos. Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 30 Aug. 2026 If the teams refuse to enroll the players who benefit from the TRO, those players could petition Hoffman to clarify that his order also blocks the SEC from punishing schools. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Aug. 2026 The incident comes just one day after a portion of Southwest Trafficway, just blocks away from the site of the crash, caved in, according to crews with Kansas City’s Water Services Department. Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026 The Coronagraph Instrument uses technology that blocks the glare from a star. Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blocks
Noun
  • Robby stayed home, measuring the time between clusters of seizures in video games and cartoons.
    Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Huddleston notes that first-year growth stays low to the ground as a leafy rosette, whereas in the second year, poison hemlock can reach up to 10 feet in height and is often found in large clusters.
    SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Wong embodied a model of how to reinvent oneself in the face of the most daunting societal obstacles.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Journalists and other civil society actors also continue to face obstacles in their work.
    Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Bathrooms have soaking tubs and separate shower areas, rainforest shower heads, lighted make-up mirrors, and plush robes.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Sep. 2026
  • When a Black professor suggests that the protesting students are infringing on their classmates’ right to use shared areas, her white counterparts shake their heads in disgust for her refusal to capitulate to progressive groupthink.
    Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The result is a fractured country, with the Houthis controlling the capital and the northwest, and the government and allied factions holding much of the south and east.
    Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
  • While there is no suggestion of any kind of confrontation, there were tensions between different factions in the dressing room as Rosenior’s tenure unravelled.
    Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • But while anti-immigrant, pro-Russian parties have made inroads across the continent in recent years, there have also been notable reversals, and some have softened their views to build coalitions with moderates.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • At national level, too, far-right parties now lead coalitions in Italy and the Czech Republic and serve as junior governing partners in Finland, Croatia, Slovakia and Sweden.
    Melissa Bell, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Owner Srikanth Devineni of Huntersville said the project fills a gap for families in the Lake Norman community.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Battery storage fills gaps Cormorant is being built to help California manage periods when electricity demand is high but generation from sources such as solar power is falling.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 13 July 2026
  • Anatasia steals a truck and obstructs their path, sacrificing herself to a bleak future, all in the name of love.
    Hunter Ingram, Variety, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • DeLand’s Gardner Nordman intercepts a Max Chapman pass and Bulldogs have the ball at their own 27 yard line.
    Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Defensive Player of the Week Josiah Griffin, a senior defensive back, intercepts a pass with 90 seconds left and returns it 45 yards for the deciding TD as Waubonsie Valley earns its first win of season with a 28-21 victory over Palatine.
    Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Blocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blocks. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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