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

On Saturday, a developer using Cursor AI for a racing game project hit an unexpected roadblock when the programming assistant abruptly refused to continue generating code, instead offering some unsolicited career advice. —Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2025

But the advent of name, image and likeness earnings for college athletes threw yet another roadblock at Johnson’s attempt to establish an identity and maintain some continuity, as programs with richer collectives lured key players away. —Dave Campbell, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025

The plan would require moving Madison Square Garden, a roadblock that has slowed movement on a new station. —Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2025

Every workplace has high-pressure moments: tight deadlines, last-minute changes, or unexpected roadblocks. —Sho Dewan, Forbes, 11 Mar. 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