This is the 12724th most frequent Swedish word.
spärra
"Spärra" means "to block" or "to obstruct."
Here, 'spärra' is used to mean 'to block' or 'to freeze'. It refers to the action of stopping the credit card from being usable.
Jag behöver spärra mitt kreditkort eftersom det blev stulet.
I need to block my credit card because it was stolen.
In this context, 'spärra' indicates 'to block' or 'to close off', relating to physically obstructing passage to facilitate controls.
Vid gränsen måste myndigheterna spärra vägen för att genomföra kontroller.
At the border, the authorities must block the road to conduct checks.
Here, 'spärra' is extended metaphorically to mean 'to impede' or 'to hold back', describing an abstract hindrance caused by fear.