Meaning & use
obstruct
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Meanings
verbtransitive
to block a road, passage, or opening so that people or things cannot pass
Grammar: Takes an object: obstruct the road, obstruct the exit.
Patterns
- obstruct something
- obstruct the entrance/road/pipe
Fallen trees obstructed the mountain road for two days.
Please move your car; it's obstructing the driveway.
The crowd obstructed the entrance to the station.
verbtransitive
to make it difficult for something to happen or progress
Grammar: Takes an object; often used with abstract nouns like progress, justice, or investigation.
Patterns
- obstruct something
- obstruct progress/justice/an investigation
The new rules could obstruct economic growth.
He was accused of trying to obstruct the investigation.
Lack of funding obstructed the research.
verbtransitive
to block a view of something
Grammar: Takes an object: the building obstructs the view.
Patterns
- obstruct something
- obstruct the view
The new hotel obstructs our view of the sea.
A tall fence obstructed the view of the garden.
Word forms
| third person singular | obstructs |
|---|---|
| past tense | obstructed |
| past participle | obstructed |
| -ing form | obstructing |
Common combinations
- obstruct justice
- The businessman was charged with obstructing justice.
- obstruct the view
- The new building obstructs the view of the mountains.
- obstruct traffic
- The accident obstructed traffic for hours.
- obstruct progress
- Bureaucracy can obstruct progress.
- obstruct the airway
- The swelling may obstruct the airway, so call an ambulance.
Synonyms and how they differ
- block
- More general and often physical; you can block a road or a website, but obstruct is more formal and often suggests a deliberate or annoying obstacle.
- hinder
- Focuses on making progress slow or difficult rather than physically stopping it; you hinder progress but you obstruct a passage.
- impede
- Formal and close in meaning, but often used for abstract things like movement or development; obstruct is more common for physical blockage.
Opposites
Word family
- obstruction noun
- something that blocks a path or process, or the act of blocking.
- obstructive adjective
- causing deliberate difficulty or delay.
- obstructively adverb
- in a way that blocks or delays.
Commonly confused: obstruct or obstacle?
obstruct vs obstacle
Obstacle is a noun meaning a thing that blocks you; obstruct is the verb meaning to block.
Practice
The fallen tree ______ the only path to the village, so we had to turn back.
Choose one answer.
The verb needs a past tense form to fit the sentence: 'obstructed'. 'Obstruction' is a noun, 'obstructive' is an adjective, and 'obstructing' would need a helping verb like 'was'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “obstruct”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.