Synonyms of impede

impede

verb

im-ˈpēd 

as in to hinder

to create difficulty for the work or activity of

the construction work impeded the smooth running of the office for several months

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hinder
• hamper
• obstruct
• embarrass
• inhibit
• stymie
• handicap
• disrupt
• delay
• restrain
• encumber
• interfere (with)
• block
• constrain
• hobble
• cramp
• clog
• tie up
• thwart
• frustrate
• fetter
• short-circuit
• handcuff
• hold back
• shackle
• trammel
• stifle
• hog-tie
• give a hard time
• curb
• tie
• bind
• retard
• retain
• cramp one's style
• manacle
• rein
• hold up
• brake
• check
• balk
• strangle
• derail
• arrest
• confine
• sabotage
• choke
• tether
• barricade
• baffle
• bog (down)
• smother
• blockade
• chain
• suffocate
• leash
• repress
• suppress
• roadblock
• foil
• muzzle
• mire
• halter
• stump
• hedge (in)
• hem (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• facilitate
• help
• assist
• aid
• open
• clear
• liberate
• make way
• release
• promote
• encourage
• free
• loosen
• unclog
• smooth
• unplug
• unstop
• further
• untie

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb impede contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of impede are block, hinder, and obstruct. While all these words mean "to interfere with the activity or progress of," impede implies making forward progress difficult by clogging, hampering, or fettering.

tight clothing that impedes movement

When could block be used to replace impede?

The meanings of block and impede largely overlap; however, block implies complete obstruction to passage or progress.

a landslide blocked the road

When is it sensible to use hinder instead of impede?

The synonyms hinder and impede are sometimes interchangeable, but hinder stresses causing harmful or annoying delay or interference with progress.

rain hindered the climb

In what contexts can obstruct take the place of impede?

In some situations, the words obstruct and impede are roughly equivalent. However, obstruct implies interfering with something in motion or in progress by the sometimes intentional placing of obstacles in the way.

the view was obstructed by billboards

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of impede

Biden’s last-minute public union agreements constrain President Trump’s executive authority to demand accountability and put taxpayers first — so the Trump Administration is suing to stop them from blocking progress and impeding our security. —Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025

Some believe that the distraction of downstream recruitment impedes overall business growth. —Lisa Maynard, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025

The new design promises a 100-year lifespan, using wider concrete barriers to impede saltwater from corroding the bridge's steel. —Yacob Reyes, Axios, 24 Mar. 2025

President Donald Trump demanded that Chief Justice John Roberts and the U.S. Supreme Court rein in federal judges who have issued injunctions around the country that have impeded an array of his policies. —Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025