obstruct
Americanverb (used with object)
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to block or close up with an obstacle; make difficult to pass.
Debris obstructed the road.
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to interrupt, hinder, or oppose the passage, progress, course, etc., of.
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to block from sight; to be in the way of (a view, passage, etc.).
verb
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to block (a road, passageway, etc) with an obstacle
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to make (progress or activity) difficult
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to impede or block a clear view of
Other Word Forms
- obstructedly adverb
- obstructer noun
- obstructingly adverb
- obstructive adjective
- obstructively adverb
- obstructiveness noun
- obstructor noun
- preobstruct verb (used with object)
- unobstructed adjective
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”); ob-, construct
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.
To soothe concerns about obstructed pavements, councils are now installing parking bays directly onto streets, permanently embedding the schemes into the architecture of cities.
From BBC
Because Samsung’s software can control which pixels to disable—and when—it can selectively obstruct parts of the screen, then turn off the shield when you don’t need it.
In recent years, development projects in Egypt's second city have razed historic parks and -- most egregiously to locals -- privatised and obstructed much of its Mediterranean coastline.
From Barron's
The man scouts around the patio and yard area apparently for something to obstruct the camera before settling on some greenery found in the yard.
From Los Angeles Times
The person notices the camera at Guthrie’s front porch and tries to cover the lens with their hand before scouting around the patio and yard area apparently for something to obstruct the camera.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
