sports: to interfere usually legitimately with an opponent : to block an opponent
needs to practice blocking
blockernoun
Phrases
around the block
: through many experiences—used especially to say that someone is no longer young or has become knowledgeable, capable, or mature because of past experience
… it seemed possible that to fall for a woman who had been around the block a few times might be to rob himself of much of the purely ornamental elements … of first love. Michael Chabon
hinder stresses causing harmful or annoying delay or interference with progress.
rain hindered the climb
impede implies making forward progress difficult by clogging, hampering, or fettering.
tight clothing that impedes movement
obstruct implies interfering with something in motion or in progress by the sometimes intentional placing of obstacles in the way.
the view was obstructed by billboards
block implies complete obstruction to passage or progress.
a landslide blocked the road
Example Sentences
Noun a wall built out of concrete blocks We took a walk around the block. She lived on our block. The store is three blocks down on the right. Verb There's an accident blocking the road. The entrance was blocked by a gate. Blood clots have completely blocked one of his arteries. The protesters blocked the road with parked vehicles. The ambulance was blocked by cars in the road. An accident was blocking traffic. Could you move to the left, please. You're blocking my light. a shield that blocks the wind Several senators are trying to block the passage of the bill. His vote blocked the treaty. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Officers were called to the 2300 block of University Boulevard near Riggs Road near the Hyattsville area. Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2022 On Sunday, Philadelphia police officers responded to the 5300 block of Harrock Street, after reports of gunfire. Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 15 Sep. 2022 Havre de Grace police officers and emergency medical services responded to the 1300 block of Post Road at 10:12 p.m. Jason Fontelieu, Baltimore Sun, 15 Sep. 2022 Police and fire medics responded about 6 p.m. to the 900 block of 47th Street South in the area known as Baby Kingston. Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 15 Sep. 2022 Officer Michelle Tannehill, a Chicago police spokesperson, confirmed officers had responded to the 5500 block of Martin Luther King Drive for reports of multiple people shot but did not have any further details on the shooting. Stephanie Casanova, Chicago Tribune, 13 Sep. 2022 Police were called to the 3400 block of South 84th Street, near the Highwood Estates and Euclid Park neighborhoods, sometime after 11:45 a.m. after the fetus was discovered, according to a news release. Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 13 Sep. 2022 Police were called to the 300 block of Hillside Avenue for a ShotSpotter activation just before 1 a.m. Tuesday. Mike Mavredakis, Hartford Courant, 13 Sep. 2022 Police responded to the 2000 block of Mills Avenue around 9:23 p.m. Monday for reports of shots fired. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 7 Sep. 2022
Verb
SpaceX's Starlink division has appealed the Federal Communications Commission decision to block it from receiving $885.51 million in broadband funding. Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 12 Sep. 2022 California fast-food wage law opponents begin effort to block it. Dorany Pineda, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2022 Worse still, perhaps, AI can be used to block or reverse sustainability progress and take the world backward rather than forward on its bumpy path toward SDG realization. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 Others could be used to block a major port or attack three of Taiwan’s main military bases. Mike Ives, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Aug. 2022 Others could be used to block a major port or attack three of Taiwan’s main military bases.New York Times, 3 Aug. 2022 This could be the first step in a Beijing quarantine strategy to declare that China has the right to block or inspect any aircraft or ship seeking to land in Taiwan. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 2 Aug. 2022 His top lawyer at the White House, Greg Jacob, testified at one of the committee’s hearings in June and characterized much of Pence’s thought process during the time when Trump was pressuring him to block or delay Biden’s win. Eric Tucker And Mary Clare Jalonick, Anchorage Daily News, 23 July 2022 The 24-hour deadlines to acknowledge requests to block or suspend a user, or remove information should only apply to services that have demonstrated a propensity for virality. Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 21 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English blok, from Middle French & Middle Dutch; Middle French bloc, from Middle Dutch blok; akin to Old High German bloh block