Chop Block Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

✨📕 The NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Learn More! ✨📕 The NEW Collegiate Dictionary Learn More! Est. 1828 Dictionary
  • Definition
  • Word History
  • Rhymes
  • Entries Near
  • Save Word
    • To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In
chop block

noun

American football : a dangerous and illegal block aimed at the legs and especially knees of another player Smith is probably the victim of more chop blocks than any defender in the league.Rick Telander chop-block ˈchäp-ˌbläk How to pronounce chop block (audio) transitive verb chop-blocked; chop-blocking; chop-blocks Early in the fourth quarter of Kansas City's 26-10 win over Denver … Chiefs defensive tackle Chester McGlockton became enraged after being chop-blocked by Lepsis. Michael Silver

Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler The first known use of chop block was in 1954 See more words from the same year

Rhymes for chop block

  • alcock
  • beanstalk
  • bedrock
  • boardwalk
  • catwalk
  • cornstalk
  • crosswalk
  • deadlock
  • feedstock
  • fetlock
  • flintlock
  • goshawk
See All Rhymes for chop block

Browse Nearby Words

chop and change chop block chop box See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster

“Chop block.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chop%20block. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Merriam-Webster unabridged

More from Merriam-Webster

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries.  Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Play Play

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Play Play

Word of the Day

retrospective

Listen to the pronunciation of retrospective

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Buck Naked' or 'Butt Naked'?

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What’s the difference between ‘cemetery’ and ‘graveyard’?

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ten Kinds of Happiness

Words That Turned 100 in 2025

The Words of the Week - Dec. 26

17 Words for Dog Breeds

Birds Say the Darndest Things

See More

Popular

See More

'Buck Naked' or 'Butt Naked'?

Ten Kinds of Happiness

Words That Turned 100 in 2025

See More

Games & Quizzes

See All Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries.  Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word. Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once? Play Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points. Blossom Pick the best words! Play Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing? The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist Play thank-you-different-languages Dutch, Yiddish, Japanese, or Hindi? Quiz Guess the language these English words come from. Take the quiz See All

Tag » What Is Chop Blocking In Football