as in blocking
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as in hampering
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the construction work impeded the smooth running of the office for several months
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Recent Examples of impeding
Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Agitators directing traffic and impeding law enforcement activity in Minnesota are drawing sharp criticism from a former police official, who warns the scenes signal a dangerous normalization of obstruction that threatens public safety and the rule of law.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Jan. 2026
That was the case on Wednesday, where the fatal shooting began as someone blocking a public road, generally an infraction of interest to police officers, who are trained to know the difference between impeding something and vociferously protesting against it.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
On Thursday, state officials with Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension claimed that the FBI is impeding the state-level investigation.
—Garrett Downs, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2026
The Department of Homeland Security accused Hilton of deliberately undermining and impeding law enforcement from enforcing immigration laws.
—Sarah Bahari, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
DeFoor also faces federal charges of damaging government property, engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds, and assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers.
—Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Jan. 2026
He’s been charged in North Carolina with forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing and impeding someone carrying out official duties.
—Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 31 Dec. 2025
Jonker further agreed with Enbridge that the state's shutdown order conflicted with the federal government's conduct of foreign affairs, impeding the flow of hydrocarbons between Canada and the United States, as agreed upon in a 1977 treaty.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 17 Dec. 2025
Verb
For a more permanent setup, mounting it on the ceiling keeps the projector out of the way and minimizes the risk of people, pets, or objects impeding the projection.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Agitators directing traffic and impeding law enforcement activity in Minnesota are drawing sharp criticism from a former police official, who warns the scenes signal a dangerous normalization of obstruction that threatens public safety and the rule of law.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Jan. 2026
That was the case on Wednesday, where the fatal shooting began as someone blocking a public road, generally an infraction of interest to police officers, who are trained to know the difference between impeding something and vociferously protesting against it.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
On Thursday, state officials with Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension claimed that the FBI is impeding the state-level investigation.
—Garrett Downs, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2026
The Department of Homeland Security accused Hilton of deliberately undermining and impeding law enforcement from enforcing immigration laws.
—Sarah Bahari, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
DeFoor also faces federal charges of damaging government property, engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds, and assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers.
—Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Jan. 2026
He’s been charged in North Carolina with forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing and impeding someone carrying out official duties.
—Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 31 Dec. 2025
Jonker further agreed with Enbridge that the state's shutdown order conflicted with the federal government's conduct of foreign affairs, impeding the flow of hydrocarbons between Canada and the United States, as agreed upon in a 1977 treaty.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 17 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impeding
Verb
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This left the country without a regular budget for next year and is hampering plans for long-overdue structural reforms and decisions on use of EU support funds.—
Veselin Toshkov,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Decades-old grids in the US are hampering new energy rollouts, and Spain’s huge blackout in April was blamed on an aged system unable to cope with power swings.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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While some Republican committee members cautioned against hindering innovation through more regulation, broad consensus was found on the possible risks of exposing children to AI.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Actively inserting yourself into and attempting to stymie federal law enforcement or barging into a church, as some of these thugs did in Minneapolis, is hindering law enforcement and trespassing, respectively.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With few nearby cities and little on-property lighting, there's not a lot of light pollution obstructing your view of the stars from this International Dark Sky Park.—
Elizabeth Rhodes,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
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The video begins with Ross in front of the vehicle driven by Good, who had stopped her burgundy SUV perpendicular to the street, obstructing the flow of traffic.—
Holmes Lybrand,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Some mushroom bills backfired when their true impacts became known, embarrassing legislators who voted for them, and forcing them to backtrack.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
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The report reiterated concerns about seven situations, two of which have been on the list since 2007, including the bureaucracy’s chronic inability to successfully employ information technology — embarrassing for a state that is the global center for digital tools.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impeding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impeding. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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