From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbar to (doing) somethingbar to (doing) somethingwrittenPREVENT something that prevents you from achieving something that you want I could see no bar to our happiness. → bar
Examples from the Corpus
bar to (doing) something• A goy enters a bar to have a little glass of wine.• Every hash-house club needs a hash house, a bar to hang out in before the run.• The opera crowd was jamming the bars from bar to wall.• It was as if she'd been given a glimpse of paradise, and then had it barred to her for ever.• Nor is there any double jeopardy bar to a civil case following a criminal acquittal.• The program opens with a blank drawing screen and a single menu bar to the left-hand side.• However, a private practice background, either during or after articles, is no bar to subsequent progress in local government.• Like a 996 it needs a lot of encouragement at the bars to start turning. 