blockade 1 of 2

as in siege
the cutting off of an area by military means to stop the flow of people or supplies it was the blockade of all the enemy's major ports that finally won the war

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blockade

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to guard
to disallow entry into (a place) by means of a physical barrier at the entry point the militant protestors blockaded the whole area around city hall

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2
as in to besiege
to surround (as a fortified place) with armed forces for the purpose of capturing or preventing commerce and communication blockaded the city until it surrendered

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Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of blockade
Noun
Continuing on this path would weaken Taiwan’s ability to withstand a blockade or invasion just as China’s use of force becomes more likely. David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024 The only way to seal the borders is with the prosperity of the peoples of the south and the end of the blockades. Chad De Guzman, TIME, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
The White House and the vice president’s residence at the Naval Observatory have been blockaded with anti-climb fencing. Annabella Rosciglione, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Nov. 2024 China’s latest war games around the island, carried out last week, included simulating blockading key ports and areas, and assaulting maritime and ground targets, Beijing said. Reuters, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for blockade 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blockade
Noun
  • Wilson, 48, of Newton Grove, N.C., was one of several Oath Keepers who cooperated with the Justice Department’s investigation of the far-right extremist group — one of the most consequential prosecutions arising from the Jan. 6 siege.
    Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
  • That’s the case in eastern Ghouta, a district in rural Damascus that experienced years of punishing siege between 2013 and 2018.
    Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Jaden McDaniels is a lockdown defender, but Minnesota often deploys Anthony Edwards to guard the point of attack.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 16 Dec. 2024
  • Spiro said that the limousine line was blocked off and guarded by police to prevent public access.
    Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The wealthiest man in the world used his social media platform X to amplify the unrest, and GOP lawmakers were besieged with phone calls to their offices telling them to oppose the plan.
    Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Dec. 2024
  • In spring 2013, as the suffering and despair spread, al-Abbasi and her husband made a small but generous donation to a family from a city besieged by the government.
    Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • On that day's episode of SmackDown, Cargill was attacked by an unknown assailant and found injured on top of a car.
    Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
  • But attacking players often experience lulls — just ask the three keen observers of this game picked out by the television cameras, all of whom must have nodded in appreciation of Sarr’s menacing performance.
    Matt Woosnam, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Landry is accused of assaulting and shooting the man who was in the home with the woman before leaving Fort Eisenhower.
    Alexx Altman-Devilbiss, Baltimore Sun, 22 Dec. 2024
  • On one night, the dorm becomes the site of a massacre, with players violently assaulting each other while the guards deliberately flashed the lights on and off.
    Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 20 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Blockade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockade. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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