blocks 1 of 2

plural of block
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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
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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
Paul Reed narrowly missed a double-double with 13 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, stepping up in Duren and Stewart’s absence to play a meaningful 19 minutes. Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025 Jupiter was shaping Earth's fate before our planet even existed, carving gaps in the early solar system that kept its building blocks from plunging into the sun, a new study finds. Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 24 Oct. 2025 The perfect layering tee, a timeless pair of flats, a cozy cardigan—these are the building blocks of a functional and stylish fall capsule wardrobe. Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2025 In the years since, Beijing has worked relentlessly to establish a global chokehold on rare earth elements, which are the building blocks of modern technology, automotive, and defense industries. Young Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 The blocks belong to the residents, not the drug dealers. Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025 Wu and Bachhuber each had two field blocks in the first half. Dan Albano, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025 Around her the crowd, which had come to a standstill two blocks from the stage, was full of people dressed in inflatable costumes or like Revolutionary War reenactors. Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025 Four months before the 2024 election, the Center for Renewing America had welcomed a small group of congressional staffers to its headquarters, a few blocks from the Capitol. Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
The October court order rejects the Department of Education’s motion to dismiss the case and blocks the administration from implementing the discontinuation against nearly 50 grantees across the country while the lawsuit continues. Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025 Because the Moon blocks the transmissions from Yutu-2 to Earth, the Chinese rover used a relay satellite to communicate with its base back home. Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025 This process blocks phishing and password theft. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2025 That federal law blocks state prosecutors from bringing a similar case, the lawyers said. Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025 Water molecules migrate toward the saltier side, but the membrane blocks salt ions from passing. Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025 So when a person takes, say, a high dose of the motion sickness drug scopolamine — which blocks the effects of acetylcholine — things start to go awry. Jon Hamilton, NPR, 22 Oct. 2025 The second restraining order blocks the administration from mobilizing National Guard troops from anywhere in the US in Oregon. Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025 The order blocks any state's National Guard from deploying to the city. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blocks
Noun
  • Five clusters of uniformed girls press together, arms uplifted, each holding up another girl who balances on one leg.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
  • If conditions are right, the clusters swirl into a storm known as a tropical wave or tropical depression.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The television industry can be a competitive environment for emerging writers with no shortage of obstacles.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
  • The obstacles to higher uptake are multifold and stubborn.
    Elliot Haspel, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • While the night celebrated Mamdani’s coalition of Democratic Socialist of America leaders, labor union heads, and activists, the rally also reflected how far Mamdani had come from an unknown, leftist state assemblyman, polling under one percent, to a darling of the Democratic mainstream.
    Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Typically, though, those same soldiers wouldn’t just hang their heads—they’d be preparing for another launch attack.
    Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • For centuries, a peace treaty between humans and the Black World — which houses all manner of witches, demons, and ghouls — has been in place to ensure separation between the two factions.
    Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
  • The town splintered into factions.
    David Peisner, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Relational – for building trust in coalitions, partnerships, and teams.
    Big Think, Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The measure’s submission set the stage for a battle with business coalitions and wealth donors.
    Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a brain aneurysm is a weakened area in an artery that bulges outward and fills with blood.
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The maps show the total brightness and color of stars (top), the total density of stars (middle), and the interstellar dust that fills the galaxy (bottom).
    Big Think, Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Everyone intercepts Marie on her way to find Thomas Godolkin, and Annabeth warns her about the premonition.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Jocasta intercepts him and narrows her eyes at his cover story.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 10 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Blocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blocks. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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