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

That's the kind of roadblock iFixit's FixHub is intended to address. —Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 12 Sep. 2024

Clear communication can lead to improved teamwork and ultimately drive innovation where there may have been roadblocks before. —Todd Fisher, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024

Defense Department arcana is a roadblock for smaller firms that want to fulfill military orders for weapons, software and spare parts. —Colin Demarest, Axios, 14 Aug. 2024

But even the most successful recruitment campaign struggles to target another of Europe's military roadblocks. —Abby Wilson, theweek, 12 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

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