The coral reef acts as a natural barrier, protecting the coastline from the full force of ocean waves.
珊瑚礁充当天然屏障，保护海岸线免受海浪的全力冲击。
Political scientist Marisol Vega argues that automatic voter registration increases overall turnout by removing a key administrative barrier to voting.
From a Cross-Text Connections question · Craft and Structure
A city compared the number of noise complaints per month before and after installing sound-dampening barriers along a highway:
From a Command of Evidence: Quantitative question · Information and Ideas
A city official claims that the sound barriers roughly quartered the monthly complaint rate.
From a Command of Evidence: Quantitative question · Information and Ideas
Which choice best defines “barrier”?
D — Obstacle, something blocking. “barrier” means obstacle, something blocking.
Which word means “obstacle, something blocking”?
A — barrier. “barrier” means obstacle, something blocking.
barrier — obstacle, something blocking. In Chinese: 障碍物，屏障.
barrier is pronounced /ˈbæriər/.
The coral reef acts as a natural barrier, protecting the coastline from the full force of ocean waves. (珊瑚礁充当天然屏障，保护海岸线免受海浪的全力冲击。)
obstacle, obstruction, impediment — all close in meaning to barrier (obstacle, something blocking).
passage, opening — each the opposite of barrier (obstacle, something blocking).
Yes. barrier is on the SAT Prep Basic list — the everyday academic words the SAT assumes you already have. The Digital SAT does not test vocabulary in isolation; words like this one are tested through Words in Context questions, where you choose the word that completes a passage most logically and precisely.
bar(obstacle)+rier