as in sieges
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in guards
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in besieges
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blockades
Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
From the air, a police helicopter circled the area while officers set up blockades on the ground and deployed a K-9 unit in an effort to track down the suspect.
—Nikiya Carrero, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Some naval blockades over the course of history have had an impact, such as Britain's blockade on Germany during World War I.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
While the area experienced a two-day outbreak of retaliatory violence and road blockades earlier this year following the killing of a drug cartel leader by the government, no international tourists were harmed during the incidents and Puerto Vallarta is by all accounts back to business as usual.
—Carole Dixon, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
This, the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the idea may well have been inspired by recent activities in the Strait of Hormuz, which showed how vulnerable strategic waterways can be to blockades of this nature.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
Energy blockades are acts of war.
—Marc Champion, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Of course, there are additional legal frameworks outside of UNCLOS that specifically govern behavior during times of conflict, such as the law of naval warfare, which does allow for blockades.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 16 Apr. 2026
Here are three lessons learned from the history of naval blockades.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026
Contessa Brewer,dawn Giel, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
His death sparked civil unrest in Puerto Vallarta and more than a dozen Mexican states, including Quintana Roo, with cars set on fire and blockades obstructing highways.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
Road blockades, traffic slowdowns and other protests were widespread – from the southern port city of Marseille to Lille and Caen in the north, and from Nantes and Rennes in the west to Grenoble and Lyon in the southeast.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
In the ensuring weeks, Tehran and Washington launched mutual blockades on the waterway, with Iran attacking non-allied vessels and the US targeting ships from Iranian ports.
—Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
From the air, a police helicopter circled the area while officers set up blockades on the ground and deployed a K-9 unit in an effort to track down the suspect.
—Nikiya Carrero, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Some naval blockades over the course of history have had an impact, such as Britain's blockade on Germany during World War I.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
While the area experienced a two-day outbreak of retaliatory violence and road blockades earlier this year following the killing of a drug cartel leader by the government, no international tourists were harmed during the incidents and Puerto Vallarta is by all accounts back to business as usual.
—Carole Dixon, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
This, the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the idea may well have been inspired by recent activities in the Strait of Hormuz, which showed how vulnerable strategic waterways can be to blockades of this nature.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
Energy blockades are acts of war.
—Marc Champion, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Of course, there are additional legal frameworks outside of UNCLOS that specifically govern behavior during times of conflict, such as the law of naval warfare, which does allow for blockades.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 16 Apr. 2026
Here are three lessons learned from the history of naval blockades.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
As the United States military blockades the Strait of Hormuz fuel prices rose above $100 dollars a barrel.
—Contessa Brewer,dawn Giel, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
His death sparked civil unrest in Puerto Vallarta and more than a dozen Mexican states, including Quintana Roo, with cars set on fire and blockades obstructing highways.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
Road blockades, traffic slowdowns and other protests were widespread – from the southern port city of Marseille to Lille and Caen in the north, and from Nantes and Rennes in the west to Grenoble and Lyon in the southeast.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blockades
Noun
-
However, Birru said the sieges were not fully broken.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Now requests are arriving steadily from New York, Maine, and Milan, other locales bracing for their own sieges.—
Kathryn Savage,
Artforum,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Washington might consider restoring the Fulbright Program, and work on better coordination between the US State Department, which issues visas, and Homeland Security, which guards entry points.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The water-resistant outer material guards your essentials against splashes, while elastic straps and multiple pockets help keep your bottles upright.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On Earth, the dangerous terrorist group known as the Wolfpack attacks major landmarks, such as Big Ben.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Nektar Therapeutics said Monday that extended treatment with its experimental drug, called rezpeg, promoted greater hair growth in people with severe alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that attacks hair follicles.—
Adam Feuerstein,
STAT,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blockades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockades. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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