roadblock

noun

road·​block ˈrōd-ˌbläk 

1

a

: a barricade often with traps or mines for holding up an enemy at a point on a road covered by fire

b

: a road barricade set up especially by law enforcement officers

2

: an obstruction in a road

3

: something that blocks progress or prevents accomplishment of an objective

roadblock transitive verb

Examples of roadblock in a Sentence

That's the one roadblock to the plan.

roadblocks on the path to success

Recent Examples on the Web

Federal judge blocks Trump's mass firings The Trump administration hit a potential roadblock Thursday in its mass firings. —Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025

Despite these roadblocks, China is working on domestic AI chip alternatives, aiming for technological self-reliance. —Vazgen Harutyunyan, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025

The Trump administration has hit roadblocks in the courts, as dozens of lawsuits have been filed that challenge Mr. Trump's policies and initiatives aimed at shrinking the size of the federal government. —Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2025

Bothwell said the city has thrown up another roadblock in case the PB planners get an unsatisfactory ruling. —Steven Mihailovich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for roadblock

• alcock
• beanstalk
• bedrock
• boardwalk
• catwalk
• cornstalk
• crosswalk
• deadlock
• feedstock
• fetlock
• flintlock
• goshawk

Kids Definition

roadblock

noun

road·​block -ˌbläk 

: a blocking of a road (as by police officers)

Legal Definition

roadblock

noun

road·​block

: a road barricade set up by law enforcement officers especially for the purpose of detecting criminal activity