BLOCKADES Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

blockades 1 of 2

noun

plural of blockade

as in sieges

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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blockades

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of blockade

as in guards

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in besieges

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 blockades

Noun

Following weeks of strikes, road blockades, and violent clashes between protesters and security forces, during which a 17-year-old boy was fatally shot by a Bolivian Army captain, the Bolivian government canceled the privatization contract. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026 With the arid kingdom facing blockades and disruptions on both its coasts, growing food in water, surprisingly, is providing a green line of defense. — Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Aug. 2026 These adjustments add to the fact that while blockades can impose privation, modern governments and their nationalist populations can accept a lot of suffering before considering major political concessions. — Eugene Gholz, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026 The killing sparked nationwide unrest, with cartel members erecting highway blockades and setting fire to vehicles and buildings across 20 Mexican states. — CBS News, 31 July 2026 With both blockades fueling fears over global energy supplies, the price of international benchmark Brent crude oil jumped above the $100 a barrel threshold Thursday for the first time since May before dropping back down. — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 24 July 2026 The war has pushed up gas prices as the oil market got disrupted by blockades in the Strait of Hormuz. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 22 July 2026 But even as the United States and Iran resumed their blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, the economy faces a new problem. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 Once the blockades end, a rebound in demand combined with excess liquidity is expected to drive inflation higher. — Armando Regil Velasco, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026

Verb

There's no question that the United States has a credible threat of force, but the blockade really blockades ourselves as well as Iran. — ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026 As the United States military blockades the Strait of Hormuz fuel prices rose above $100 dollars a barrel. — Contessa Brewer,dawn Giel, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026 His death sparked civil unrest in Puerto Vallarta and more than a dozen Mexican states, including Quintana Roo, with cars set on fire and blockades obstructing highways. — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026 Road blockades, traffic slowdowns and other protests were widespread – from the southern port city of Marseille to Lille and Caen in the north, and from Nantes and Rennes in the west to Grenoble and Lyon in the southeast. — Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for blockades

Noun

Which is why many Americans have begun to tire of the sieges in their communities.

— Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
As in traditional sieges, the focus is on the vulnerable flow of supplies rather than a defended position.

— Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026

Definition of sieges

Verb

Hal Jordan is the chief Green Lantern of planet Earth at this time, part of an intergalactic policing organization that guards sectors of the cosmos.

— Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile, on the neighboring field, Purdy had finished his initial reps by the time the 49ers’ offense, particularly guards Robert Jones and Dominick Puni, got into a scrum with the Titans.

— Cam Inman, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of guards

Verb

Greenidge, an award-winning public historian, refuted all charges, and told the New York Times that attacks on her scholarship were racially motivated.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
However, when Duffy attacks Marcus during a confrontation with Slough House agents, Louisa hits the chief of the Dogs in the head, leaving him in a coma.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of attacks

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“Blockades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blockades. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of blockades

noun

verb

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