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

If negative feedback arises, conduct a deeper analysis to identify roadblocks by leveraging paths, funnels and in-app tours. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

The new season will continue the show’s premise of trying to give away all of Wells' vast fortune, but no doubt there will be some roadblocks along the way. —Lucy Ford, Time, 28 Aug. 2025

This is actually one of the tougher roadblocks that little kids face while potty training. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 27 Aug. 2025

However, his stay might be facing a major roadblock. —James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 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