obstructionnoun
uk/əbˈstrʌk.ʃən/us/əbˈstrʌk.ʃən/[ C or U ] something that blocks a road, passage, entrance, etc. so that nothing can go along it, or the act of blocking something in this way:
There's some kind of obstruction on the railway tracks.
[ U ] behaviour or actions that prevent something from happening or working correctly:
They were charged with obstruction of the police/of justice (= preventing the police/law courts from doing their jobs).
[ U ] in sport an occasion when one player gets in the way of another and so prevents them from moving freely:
The referee said it was obstruction.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Difficult things and people
- a (heavy) cross to bear idiom
- a bitter pill (to swallow) idiom
- a hard/tough nut to crack idiom
- albatross
- bane
- chill
- equation
- handicap
- hiccup
- hot potato
- impediment
- job
- labyrinth
- liability
- nut
- the chill wind of sth idiom
- the hard way idiom
- the sharp end
- thorn in your flesh/side idiom
- tie-up
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Preventing and impeding