Synonyms

obstruct

American

[uhb-struhkt] / əbˈstrʌkt /

verb (used with object)

to block or close up with an obstacle; make difficult to pass.

Debris obstructed the road.

Synonyms:

arrest, retard, slow, check, prevent, impede, hinder, clog, choke, stop

Antonyms:

further, encourage
to interrupt, hinder, or oppose the passage, progress, course, etc., of.
to block from sight; to be in the way of (a view, passage, etc.).

obstruct British

/ əbˈstrʌkt /

verb

to block (a road, passageway, etc) with an obstacle
to make (progress or activity) difficult
to impede or block a clear view of

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of obstruct

First recorded in 1605–15, obstruct is from the Latin word obstructus (past participle of obstruere “to build or pile up in the way, bar”); see ob-, construct

Explanation

When you obstruct something, you block it. If you’re gobbling down your pizza, a chunk of crust you didn’t chew so well might obstruct your airway and you'll choke. Obstruct also means to get in the way so that you hide something from view. That fast food tower being built next to your beach house will obstruct your lovely ocean vistas. And that scene gives you a vivid illustration of the Latin roots the word comes from: ob- "against," and struere, "build." You can also obstruct something or someone by putting up a roadblock, literal or figurative: when you park yourself by the exit door, you obstruct everybody's way out.

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Vocabulary lists containing obstruct

The Declaration of Independence

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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 3

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If constructed, it will be topped with gilded bald eagles and an angelic Lady Liberty; its speckless white-marble columns will be wide enough to obstruct sight lines to the Lincoln Memorial.

From Slate • Jun. 2, 2026

Beijing will also scrutinize companies that fail to truthfully record the flow of rare-earth products and producers that refuse or obstruct government inspections, the ministry said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

"The defendant not only sought to obstruct the lawful execution of warrants by prosecutors and others," he said in his verdict.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

It is also an offence to disturb, damage or destroy a breeding site or resting place of an otter or obstruct their access, whether or not an otter is present.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Once there appeared a strange optical effect: when he stood between me and the flame he did not obstruct it, for I could see its ghostly flicker all the same.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023