Sealed off a place so that people or supplies cannot get in or out, usually during a war or conflict.
From 'blockade' (French 'bloquer' meaning to block) plus the past tense '-ed'. The term emerged during the 17th century naval warfare to describe sealing ports.
The Union's Anaconda Plan during the American Civil War blockaded Confederate ports, strangling their economy—a word born from actual military strategy that shaped history.
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