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
About 571 were charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder, including approximately 164 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.
—
Louis Jacobson, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Roads aren't expected to be slick, NWS of Louisville meteorologists predict, but the mix of snow and wind could obstruct visibility during afternoon commutes.
—Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 21 Nov. 2024
The Trump administration now needs to get serious about shaping regional and global conventions around digital trade, anticorruption, and intellectual property rights to counter Beijing’s efforts to bend weaker states to its will and obstruct U.S. economic access.
—Michael Green, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024
Johnston, 55, was sentenced in court on Monday, Oct. 28, after pleading guilty in July to one felony count of civil disorder for obstructing the police during the attacks, the United States District of Columbia attorney’s office stated in a press release.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for obstruct 
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Louis Jacobson, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Roads aren't expected to be slick, NWS of Louisville meteorologists predict, but the mix of snow and wind could obstruct visibility during afternoon commutes.
—Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 21 Nov. 2024
The Trump administration now needs to get serious about shaping regional and global conventions around digital trade, anticorruption, and intellectual property rights to counter Beijing’s efforts to bend weaker states to its will and obstruct U.S. economic access.
—Michael Green, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024
Johnston, 55, was sentenced in court on Monday, Oct. 28, after pleading guilty in July to one felony count of civil disorder for obstructing the police during the attacks, the United States District of Columbia attorney’s office stated in a press release.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for obstruct
Dictionary Entries Near obstruct
Cite this Entry
“Obstruct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obstruct. Accessed 28 Nov. 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
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