obstruct
verb
ob·struct
əb-ˈstrəkt 
äb-
obstructed; obstructing; obstructs
1
: to block or close up by an obstacle
A piece of food obstructed his airway.
The road was obstructed by a fallen tree.
2
: to hinder from passage, action, or operation : impede
Constant interruptions obstruct our progress.
was charged with obstructing justice by lying to investigators
3
: to cut off from sight
A wall obstructs the view.
obstructiveness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of obstruct in a Sentence
A large tree obstructed the road.
A piece of food obstructed his airway and caused him to stop breathing.
She was charged with obstructing police.
She was charged with obstructing justice by lying to investigators.
Recent Examples on the Web
On this sunny weekday afternoon, the area isn’t quite swarmed, but it is consistently occupied with a new group of fans and an increasing stream of local journalists arriving every few minutes, incidentally obstructing traffic and drawing forlorn looks from the neighbors.
—
Rachel Handler, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2024
Fat deposits around the upper airway will end up obstructing it, which stops their normal breathing.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
What is the law around obstructing an official proceeding?
—Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 16 Apr. 2024
The protesters were arrested on charges of obstructing the roadway, said Miami police spokesman Officer Michael Vega.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024
The former officers pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy against rights, deprivation of rights under color of law, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice, according to court records.
—Emma Tucker, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
The Mattachine Society, founded in 1950, saw the APA’s categorization of homosexuality as a disease as the linchpin obstructing gay liberation.
—Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 8 Apr. 2024
Metro Phoenix residents will be able to see a partial eclipse for about 2.5 hours, with only 64% of the sun being obstructed by the moon.
—Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
As early as 763 BCE, ancient Assyrians were charting the process by which the path of the moon temporarily obstructs the sun, and astronomers have continued to do so for thousands of years since.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
Rachel Handler, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2024
Fat deposits around the upper airway will end up obstructing it, which stops their normal breathing.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
What is the law around obstructing an official proceeding?
—Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 16 Apr. 2024
The protesters were arrested on charges of obstructing the roadway, said Miami police spokesman Officer Michael Vega.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024
The former officers pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy against rights, deprivation of rights under color of law, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice, according to court records.
—Emma Tucker, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
The Mattachine Society, founded in 1950, saw the APA’s categorization of homosexuality as a disease as the linchpin obstructing gay liberation.
—Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 8 Apr. 2024
Metro Phoenix residents will be able to see a partial eclipse for about 2.5 hours, with only 64% of the sun being obstructed by the moon.
—Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
As early as 763 BCE, ancient Assyrians were charting the process by which the path of the moon temporarily obstructs the sun, and astronomers have continued to do so for thousands of years since.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'obstruct.' 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 obstruct
Cite this Entry
“Obstruct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obstruct. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
obstruct
verb
ob·struct
əb-ˈstrəkt
äb-
1
: to close up by an obstacle
a fallen tree obstructed the roadway
2
: to be or get in the way of : hinder
lying to the police obstructs justice
Medical Definition
obstruct
transitive verb
ob·struct
əb-ˈstrəkt, äb-
: to block or close up by an obstacle
veins obstructed by clots
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share