Meaning & use
blockade
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Meanings
nouncountable
The act of using ships, troops, or other forces to stop people or goods from going into or out of a place.
Grammar: Countable: a blockade, the blockade.
Patterns
- impose a blockade
- lift a blockade
- a blockade of something
The government imposed a blockade on the port.
The blockade prevented food and medicine from reaching the city.
They lifted the blockade after peace talks.
nouncountablefigurative
Something that stops progress or communication.
Grammar: Countable, often figurative: a blockade on information.
Patterns
- a blockade on something
- a blockade against something
The new regulations created a blockade on free information.
There is a blockade on trade between the two countries.
verbtransitive
To surround or close off a place with ships or troops to stop people or goods from entering or leaving.
Grammar: Takes an object: blockade a port.
Patterns
- blockade a port
- blockade a city
- blockade something with something
The navy blockaded the enemy's ports.
They blockaded the city to cut off supplies.
Word forms
| plural | blockades |
|---|---|
| third person singular | blockades |
| past tense | blockaded |
| past participle | blockaded |
| -ing form | blockading |
Common combinations
- impose a blockade
- The allies imposed a blockade on the rebel-held port.
- lift a blockade
- The government agreed to lift the blockade after negotiations.
- enforce a blockade
- Warships were sent to enforce the blockade.
- break a blockade
- The ships tried to break the blockade under cover of darkness.
- economic blockade
- The economic blockade caused widespread shortages.
Synonyms and how they differ
- siege
- A siege involves surrounding a place with armed forces to capture it, often with direct attacks; a blockade focuses on cutting off supplies and communications, usually by sea.
- embargo
- An embargo is an official ban on trade with a particular country, while a blockade is a physical barrier using forces.
Word family
- blockader noun
- A person or ship that takes part in a blockade.
Commonly confused: blockade or blockage?
blockade vs blockage
A blockage is something that blocks a pipe or passage, like a blockage in a drain; a blockade is a military or political act of sealing off a place.
Practice
The rebels tried to ___ the port by sinking ships in the harbor.
Choose one answer.
Blockade means to seal off a place with forces, which fits sinking ships to stop entry. 'Blockage' is a noun meaning an obstruction, 'block' is too general, and 'blackade' is a misspelling.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “blockade”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.