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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of blockade
Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have framed the blockade as a tool to force regime change in Havana — though the humanitarian toll has drawn widespread criticism.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
Wind and solar cannot be embargoed, blockaded, or shut off by a foreign power.
—David Frykman, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for blockade
Noun
Eisenstadt says a sea blockade against ships carrying Iranian oil would be a safer strategy and achieve the same goal of controlling most of Iran’s oil industry.
—Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have framed the blockade as a tool to force regime change in Havana — though the humanitarian toll has drawn widespread criticism.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
Three of the four countries that blockaded Qatar—Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain—have also been the target of Iranian drones and missiles.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
Wind and solar cannot be embargoed, blockaded, or shut off by a foreign power.
—David Frykman, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for blockade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blockade
Noun
-
Cortés did not bring trebuchets from Europe but had been persuaded to build them mid-siege by an eager soldier who supposedly had experience with them.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
D'Artagnan was a favorite of Louis XIV and, in 1673, led the Sun King's siege on the Dutch city of Maastricht during the Franco-Dutch war.—
Eleanor Beardsley,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the fullness of time, Nancy had a Nest camera installed—one of those all-seeing eyes meant to guard the property and calm anxious nerves and provide real safety from intrusion.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The Guard has separately launched a recruitment drive targeting youths, seeking children as young as 12 to guard security checkpoints, carry out patrols, tend to the wounded, and perform other supporting tasks.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Early on, the Biden team had been besieged with desperate pleas to ship more of the then scarce vaccine.—
David Blumenthal,
STAT,
24 Mar. 2026
-
When news circulated about the gathering, Temple Emanu-El was besieged with inquiries from the local media.—
Joshua M. Davidson,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At that point, Cupe allegedly became agitated and attacked the bystander with a box cutter, slashing him across the chest.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Trump has also threatened to attack Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The sole occupant of the home was assaulted and tied up before the suspect stole several items from the home, including a vehicle, then used that vehicle to flee the scene, according to LeLacheur.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The Department of Homeland Security said Saturday that two people were arrested for assaulting federal law enforcement, Reuters reported.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blockade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockade. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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