impedes

VERB

obstruct, hinder

Synonyms

STRONGEST

block curb cut off delay deter disrupt hamper interfere retard slow stymie thwart

STRONG

bar brake check clog dam discomfit disconcert embarrass faze freeze oppose rattle restrain stonewall stop

WEAK

blow whistle on close off cramp one's style flag one hang up hold up saddle with shut down shut off slow down

Antonyms

STRONGEST

advance aid allow assist encourage expedite forward help permit promote push

STRONG

comfort continue free go liberate open release soothe unblock unclog

WEAK

facilitate support

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

impedes

Ignoring those, they said, “stifles that debate and our ability to move forward as a nation,” and impedes healing.

From Salon ● May 14, 2026

VAR: Which impedes his ability to get to the ball properly.

From BBC ● May 12, 2026

“Decoupling seller profit from buyer satisfaction impedes economic growth and slows innovation. Buyer surplus stagnates and inflation accelerates.”

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 6, 2026

It deploys natural and social scientific methods to understand what advances and what impedes human flourishing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025

Whatever may be its cause, however, the presence of water in the cylinder impedes the starting of the engine, because the gases resulting from the explosion are almost spontaneously chilled, thereby diminishing the working pressure.

From Gas-Engines and Producer-Gas Plants A Practice Treatise Setting Forth the Principles of Gas-Engines and Producer Design, the Selection and Installation of an Engine, Conditions of Perfect Operation, Producer-Gas Engines and Their Possibilities, the Care of Gas-Engines and Producer-Gas Plants, with a Chapter on Volatile Hydrocarbon and Oil Engines by Mathot, R. E.