blockaded; blockading
blockader
noun
1
: the isolation by a warring nation of an enemy area (such as a harbor) by troops or warships to prevent passage of persons or supplies
broadly
: a restrictive measure designed to obstruct the commerce and communications of an unfriendly nation
2
: something that blocks
3
: interruption of normal physiological function (such as transmission of nerve impulses) of a cellular receptor, tissue, or organ
also
: inhibition of a physiologically active substance (such as a hormone)
Synonyms
Examples of blockade in a Sentence
Verb
They blockaded the country's ports.
the militant protestors blockaded the whole area around city hall
Noun
it was the blockade of all the enemy's major ports that finally won the war
Recent Examples on the Web
Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2024
By 8:00, the Hamas soldiers blockading the roads started hunting down music fans gathered in nearby bomb shelters, the Wall Street Journal reported.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for blockade 
Verb
Barbecue, who controls access to one of the main fuel ports, responded to the measure by blockading the port for nearly two months.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2024
By 8:00, the Hamas soldiers blockading the roads started hunting down music fans gathered in nearby bomb shelters, the Wall Street Journal reported.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for blockade
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blockade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near blockade
Cite this Entry
“Blockade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blockade. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
blockade
1 of 2 noun
block·ade
blä-ˈkād 
1
a
: interruption of normal physiological function (as transmission of nerve impulses) of a cellular receptor, tissue, or organ
b
: inhibition of a physiologically active substance (as a hormone)
2
: the process of reducing the phagocytic capabilities of the mononuclear phagocyte system by loading it with harmless material (as India ink or lampblack) which engages its cells in phagocytosis and prevents them from reacting to new antigenic material compare blocking antibody
blockade
2 of 2 transitive verb
blockaded; blockading
: to subject to blockade
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