obstruct
verb/əbˈstrʌkt/
/əbˈstrʌkt/
(formal)Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they obstruct | /əbˈstrʌkt/ /əbˈstrʌkt/ |
| he / she / it obstructs | /əbˈstrʌkts/ /əbˈstrʌkts/ |
| past simple obstructed | /əbˈstrʌktɪd/ /əbˈstrʌktɪd/ |
| past participle obstructed | /əbˈstrʌktɪd/ /əbˈstrʌktɪd/ |
| -ing form obstructing | /əbˈstrʌktɪŋ/ /əbˈstrʌktɪŋ/ |
- obstruct something to block a road, an entrance, a passage, etc. so that somebody/something cannot get through, see past, etc.
- You can't park here, you're obstructing my driveway.
- First check that the accident victim doesn't have an obstructed airway.
- The pillar obstructed our view of the stage.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- partially
- completely
- deliberately
- …
- in
Definitions on the go
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- obstruct somebody/something to prevent somebody/something from doing something or making progress, especially when this is done deliberately synonym hinder
- They were charged with obstructing the police in the course of their duty.
- He accused terrorists of attempting to obstruct the peace process.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- partially
- completely
- deliberately
- …
- in
Word Originlate 16th cent.: from Latin obstruct- ‘blocked up’, from the verb obstruere, from ob- ‘against’ + struere ‘build, pile up’.
Idioms
See obstruct in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee obstruct in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishobstruct justice (North American English)
(British English pervert the course of justice)
- (law) to tell a lie or to do something in order to prevent the police, etc. from finding out the truth about a crime
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obstruct