1
as in impeding
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
this would go much faster if you would stop obstructing me with your constant interruptions
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blocking
to prevent passage through by filling with something
at the moment the city's only tunnel between downtown and the airport is obstructed by an overturned tanker truck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obstructing
Senate Bill 443 would increase penalties for obstructing highways or streets.
—
Adam Beam, AJC.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Brown is charged with two counts of resisting and obstructing an officer, along with open container of alcohol in a vehicle.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
The man was arrested after being released from the hospital, and charged with filing a false police report and resisting, delaying, or obstructing a public officer, officials said.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2026
Wilson, who lives in Harlem, was charged with obstructing governmental administration, a misdemeanor, and harassment, a noncriminal violation, sources said.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
That seal was obstructing the interface, which is known as a quick disconnect.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 3 Mar. 2026
This bag will protect the toilet from paint without obstructing the space between the wall and the tank.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Feb. 2026
People who see private plows dumping snow and obstructing public roads should contact 311.
—Antonia Noori Farzan, The Providence Journal, 26 Feb. 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
Adam Beam, AJC.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Brown is charged with two counts of resisting and obstructing an officer, along with open container of alcohol in a vehicle.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
The man was arrested after being released from the hospital, and charged with filing a false police report and resisting, delaying, or obstructing a public officer, officials said.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2026
Wilson, who lives in Harlem, was charged with obstructing governmental administration, a misdemeanor, and harassment, a noncriminal violation, sources said.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
That seal was obstructing the interface, which is known as a quick disconnect.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 3 Mar. 2026
This bag will protect the toilet from paint without obstructing the space between the wall and the tank.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Feb. 2026
People who see private plows dumping snow and obstructing public roads should contact 311.
—Antonia Noori Farzan, The Providence Journal, 26 Feb. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obstructing
Verb
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The incident resulted in a ticket for impeding traffic, for which she was ordered to pay $197 after pleading no contest in Orange County court on Monday.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
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Gomez was standing to Hermansen’s right, and Ibrahima Konate to his left, but neither seemed to be impeding any less than Robertson had been deemed to be against City.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Early in the second period, just after Greaves got caught out of the net while playing a puck to his right, Provorov hustled to the other side of the net and sprawled across the ice, blocking a shot by Florida’s Tomas Nosek that would have tied the score at 1.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Enter Brick, an app-blocking device.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But then the team lost Kevin Fiala for the rest of the season to a fractured leg in the Olympic tournament and saw winger Andrei Kuzmenko undergo surgery last week to repair torn meniscus in his right knee, hampering an offense that ranks 28th in the 32-team league in goals.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Public frustration over the district’s academic performance reached a boiling point in August 2024, when Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker spoke at a school board meeting, saying the district’s poor performance was hampering students’ opportunities after high school.—
Silas Allen,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The lawsuit accuses them of concealing climate research and hindering the adoption of renewable energy technologies.—
Taylor Millard,
Boston Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
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Here's how often to prune succulents without hindering their growth.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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These are embarrassing own goals that Republicans simply can’t afford.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
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Fairchild played the free-wheeling bon vivant Nora Tyler Bing on five episodes of the sitcom classic, unwittingly embarrassing Perry's Chandler Bing to the delight of his pals.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obstructing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obstructing. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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