noun
roadblock
noun
1
A barrier set up across a road, often by police or the military, to stop or check traffic.
"Police set up a roadblock after the robbery to check every car leaving town."
2
Something that gets in the way of progress; an obstacle.
"Lack of funding became the biggest roadblock to finishing the project."
How to Use Roadblock
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA barrier stopping traffic, or more generally, anything blocking progress.
Common pairings
hit a roadblock
set up a roadblock
legal roadblock
Word Forms
roadblocked past tense, roadblocks plural, roadblocks singular
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Police set up a _____ after the robbery to check every car leaving town.
Etymology
A straightforward compound of "road" + "block," first used for physical traffic barriers before being extended to mean any obstacle.