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

For the title character of the low-key charmer Olmo, those roadblocks shape a day of pivotal reversals and revelations, life-changing in the moment, perhaps, but especially in retrospect. —Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2025

Four years later, the COVID-19 pandemic was the primary roadblock. —Sean Gentille, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025

President Donald Trump's sweeping use of executive power since returning to office has quickly hit a roadblock in the courts and sparked a showdown over presidential authority just four weeks into his second term. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Feb. 2025

The roadblock was, in fact, due to a private property dispute. —Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Feb. 2025

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