This is the 15080th most frequent German word.
sperrten
"Sperrten" is the past tense of "sperren," meaning "blocked" or "locked."
The word 'sperrten' is used here as past tense of 'sperren,' indicating the action of blocking or cordoning off an area.
Die Feuerwehrleute sperrten die Straße nach dem Unfall.
The firefighters blocked the road after the accident.
In this sentence, 'sperrten' functions to describe the action of securing the area by restricting access.
Wegen der hohen Gefahr sperrten sie das gesamte Areal.
Due to the high danger, they cordoned off the entire area.
Here, 'sperrten' conveys the action of locking or securing something, more specifically a door.