1 B1 neutral
To close a road, entrance, or area to prevent people or vehicles from passing through.
"Police blocked off the street after the accident."
separable
block off
B1 neutral separable transitive
To close or reserve an area, route, or period of time so it cannot be used by others.
In plain English
To stop people from using a road, area, or time slot by putting something in the way.
What does "block off" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To reserve a period of time in a schedule so it is unavailable for other activities.
"I've blocked off Friday afternoon for the team presentation."
separable
3 B1 neutral
To divide or section off part of a space using barriers or partitions.
"They blocked off the back section of the restaurant for a private party."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To place a block across something so it is cut off from use.
Actually means
To stop people from using a road, area, or time slot by putting something in the way.
Usage tip
Very common and practical. Used for roads, calendar entries, rooms, and time periods. Frequently appears in planning, scheduling, and traffic management contexts.
Words that pair with "block off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
road street time area section calendar
How to conjugate "block off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
block off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
blocks off
he/she/it
Past simple
blocked off
yesterday
Past participle
blocked off
have + pp
-ing form
blocking off
continuous
Hear "block off" in the wild
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Other ways to say "block off"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
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