blockade 1 of 2

noun

Definition of blockadenext
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

blä-ˈkād How to pronounce blockade (audio)
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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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 blockade
Noun
The update was the first since Monday, when CENTCOM said 71 ships had been redirected since the blockade went back into place on July 14. — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 The blockade choked one of the world’s most important shipping lanes and Iran dictated where the war’s frontline would be, rattling the global economy. — Justin Fishel, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
In July, Houthi forces began blockading the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, the corridor linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, in response to renewed Saudi strikes on Yemen. — Frank Ahrens, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 In December 2022, Baku began ramping up the pressure again, blockading Stepanakert by cutting off its sole road to Armenia, and cutting its gas pipelines and electricity cables. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for blockade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blockade
  1. siege
  2. guard
  3. besiege
  4. attack
  5. assault
Noun
  • His thinking ensured that the hotel needed only minor updates over the decades, the biggest renovation resulting from a deadly terror attack and siege in Mumbai in 2008.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The attack occurred a few hundred yards away from three homes to which settlers laid siege this month, drawing international condemnation and an Israeli military deployment that residents say has kept them effectively trapped in their homes.
    — Pesha Magid Reuters, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of siege
Verb
  • The inner workings of these buildings are guarded like state secrets.
    — Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Anthropic closely guards its training data sources, but music publishers think the court should require more transparency.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of guard
Verb
  • There has been a spate of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, and the village of Qusra has been besieged by Israeli settlers for weeks.
    — F. Brinley Bruton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • One of them, Muammar Ibrahim, reported for Al Jazeera’s Arabic network while the city was besieged.
    — Mat Nashed, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of besiege
Verb
  • In Iran, Afghans have been attacked by mobs and baselessly accused of collaborating with Israel; some legal residents have had police tear up their documents in front of them.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 31 Aug. 2026
  • On Saturday, an Ebola response team was attacked on the outskirts of the town of Mambasa in Ituri province while responding to a call to secure a body.
    — Constant Same Bagalwa, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of attack
Verb
  • Two other men similarly charged with assaulting agents saw their charges dropped soon after they were filed.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
  • He was accused of assaulting a 29-year-old woman the day before.
    — Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of assault

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block
blockade
blockaded
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Cite this Entry

“Blockade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockade. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on blockade

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about blockade

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