as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
an obstruction in the drain has the water all backed up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example 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 obstruction
Four were arrested alongside Ossé, and all were charged with obstruction of governmental administration and disorderly conduct, according to the department.
—
Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Golfweek's Beth Ann Nichols reported that the pool is considered to be a temporary immovable obstruction (TIO), which is governed by a Local Rule.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Investigators described these episodes as part of a pattern of obstruction.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Branch, 22, was cited for misdemeanor obstruction of a law enforcement officer and obstructing a public sidewalk.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obstruction
Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Golfweek's Beth Ann Nichols reported that the pool is considered to be a temporary immovable obstruction (TIO), which is governed by a Local Rule.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Investigators described these episodes as part of a pattern of obstruction.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Branch, 22, was cited for misdemeanor obstruction of a law enforcement officer and obstructing a public sidewalk.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obstruction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obstruction
Noun
-
The system continuously maps nearby activity, such as detecting pedestrians, vehicles, and unexpected obstacles.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
-
And that really is a huge obstacle for the Chinese now.—
Jamie Lincoln Kitman,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The biggest hurdles have been the logistics of assembling the designs in conjunction with partners WhiteWater West, which helped design Royal Caribbean’s water park as well.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
-
But for now, many families still face legal hurdles even in places where polyamory is becoming widely accepted.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Well, the new strike zone and the obvious embarrassment of having a call overturned has changed how umpires call balls and strikes.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
For the annual dinner to occur at the White House itself would be a huge—okay, an even huger—embarrassment and conflict of interest.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Autocracy always ran through Turkey’s politics and state structure, from Ottoman times to Atatürk’s one-party rule to the long twentieth century of its military interference.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In most households, however, there isn’t enough electromagnetic interference for this to cause a significant problem.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Researchers in China have developed a new catalyst that helped a lithium-sulfur battery retain 93 percent of its capacity after 600 charge-discharge cycles, a step that could address one of the biggest barriers to commercializing the high-energy battery chemistry.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Three days after distance runner Sabastian Sawe became the first man to break the two-hour barrier in the marathon, his outfitter, Adidas, was still taking a victory lap.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obstruction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obstruction. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
