The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word BARRIER
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
B
A
R
R
I
E
R
More clues leading to the result BARRIER
- Bird dropping head below black fence
- What faces British topless steeplechaser?
- Hostelry beside river with very short fence?
- Stockade maybe is more exposed blocking raid, oddly
- Boom — it’s soundly broken!
- Advocate dropping good man, an impediment
- Scottish author runs into obstacle
- Announcer not starting after ban on e.g. iron curtain
- Block arrival soused with German beer
- Good man leaves lawyer railing
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Obstacle" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case obstacle = barrier.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BARRIER mean?
BARRIER noun- A structure that bars passage.
- An obstacle or impediment.
- A boundary or limit.
- (grammar) A node (in government and binding theory) said to intervene between other nodes A and B if it is a potential governor for B, c-commands B, and does not c-command A.
- A separation between two areas of the body where specialized cells allow the entry of certain substances but prevent the entry of others.
- The lists in a tournament.
- (in the plural) A martial exercise of the 15th and 16th centuries.
- To block or obstruct with a barrier.