checkpoint

noun

check·​point ˈchek-ˌpȯint How to pronounce checkpoint (audio)
: a point at which a check is performed
vehicles were inspected at various checkpoints

Examples of checkpoint in a Sentence

Our car was stopped at a police checkpoint before we were permitted to cross the border.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That means that in more than half the country, as many as three in every 10 travelers may not be able to pass through an airport checkpoint in just a few weeks. Taylor Johnston, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2025 Here’s what to know: When is DUI checkpoint in Sacramento County? Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 17 Apr. 2025 The women were arrested by Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Centro Sector on Tuesday at an immigration checkpoint on Highway 86 near Westmorland, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a news release on Thursday. Elizabeth Pritchett, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2025 The program, called International Remote Baggage Screening, will allow passengers arriving in the U.S. and connecting to domestic flights to proceed straight from passport control to the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint. Zach Wichter, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for checkpoint

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of checkpoint was in 1926

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Checkpoint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/checkpoint. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

checkpoint

noun
check·​point ˈchek-ˌpȯint How to pronounce checkpoint (audio)
: a point at which a check is carried out
vehicles were inspected at different checkpoints

Legal Definition

checkpoint

noun
check·​point
: a point at which an inspection or investigation is performed
a checkpoint to uncover drunk drivers

More from Merriam-Webster on checkpoint

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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