blockage

noun

block·​age ˈblä-kij 

: an act or instance of obstructing : the state of being blocked

a blockage in a coronary artery

Examples of blockage in a Sentence

He had surgery to open up blockages in his arteries.

trying to prevent blockage of the artery

Recent Examples on the Web

At the start of the week economists were nervously eyeing whether Iran’s parliament would shut the Strait of Hormuz, a blockage to the world’s global oil supply that could send prices spiraling. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 27 June 2025

For one, the former business owner can no longer sing—her lifelong passion—due to throat blockages from the accident. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025

Advertisement Read More: The Best and Worst Way to Remove a Tick In some cases, people develop atrioventricular block, which is a blockage that prevents electrical signals from moving from the upper to the lower chambers of the heart. —Angela Haupt, Time, 18 June 2025

Some of these common drugs include antacids, antidepressants, blood pressure medication, iron supplements, and opiates (narcotics). Polyps or tumors: A blockage in the intestine caused by a large growth (a polyp) or a tumor prevents stool from passing. —Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 4 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1724, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for blockage

• dockage
• lockage

Kids Definition

blockage

noun

block·​age ˈbläk-ij 

: an act or instance of blocking : the state of being blocked

a blockage in an artery

Medical Definition

blockage

noun

block·​age ˈbläk-ij 

: the action of blocking or the state of being blocked: as

a

: blockade sense 2

b

: internal resistance to understanding a communicated idea, to learning new material, or to adopting a new mode of response because of existing habitual ways of thinking, perceiving, and acting compare blocking

Legal Definition

blockage

noun

block·​age

: the condition of a large block of items of property (as shares of stock) that requires special valuation for purposes of estate and gift tax because the value of the items sold as a block differs from their value if sold individually