gridlock

1 of 2

noun

grid·​lock ˈgrid-ˌläk How to pronounce gridlock (audio)
1
: a traffic jam in which a grid of intersecting streets is so completely congested that no vehicular movement is possible
2
: a situation resembling gridlock (as in congestion or lack of movement)
political gridlock

gridlock

2 of 2

verb

gridlocked; gridlocking; gridlocks

transitive + intransitive

: to cause to be in a state or situation in which movement or progress is stopped completely : to produce gridlock in or of
streets gridlocked by heavy traffic
a government gridlocked by partisan rancor
Neighbors of the proposed site near the intersection … told commissioners they were concerned the school would bring hundreds of additional cars to the area, further gridlocking already bumper-to-bumper traffic.Kyra Gurney
Almost immediately, heavy rains had gridlocked the narrow supply trail from Siboney on the coast.Michael Blow
also : to experience gridlock
This statement came while Congress gridlocked yet again on a campaign finance measure. David Corn

Examples of gridlock in a Sentence

Noun An accident caused gridlock at rush hour yesterday. We were caught in a gridlock. Disagreements about funding have caused legislative gridlock in Congress.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
New findings on the harassment and abuse faced by political leaders, as well as the continual gridlock in Congress, suggest there are myriad factors that could fuel attrition. Kelly Dittmar, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Drivers want to be on the move despite gridlock, slow-poke tourists and people paying more attention to their cellphone than the light that just turned green. Miami Herald Staff Report, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 All fraudulent Should spending increases trigger automatic increases to the U.S. debt limit so that political gridlock does not cause the country to default on its debts? Charlotte Observer, 22 Feb. 2024 There are horror stories of gridlock traffic on interstates and thoroughfares − lasting hours on end − from previous total eclipses in other parts of the country. Craig Webb, The Enquirer, 15 Feb. 2024 Those were twin findings on what fights are really about: one having to do with turning away or against in everyday small moments as a major source of conflict, and the other being that there are gridlock conflicts that arise from personality differences or different lifestyle preferences. Hannah Dylan Pasternak, SELF, 5 Feb. 2024 Indeed, as companies stay private longer, there’s a lot of gridlock, not only between startups and investors gunning for an exit but between large private companies and the public itself, the world of people who want in. Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2024 Instead of waiting on the political gridlock in Washington, Luttrell said the federal government should utilize the help of local law enforcement. Michael Lee, Fox News, 16 Feb. 2024 Traffic was brutal getting onto campus Tuesday night, a nasty convergence of a 6 p.m. tipoff and evening classes jamming parking structures and unusually heavy gridlock on the freeways. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2024
Verb
With so many people, the traffic jam at times slowed to gridlock. Julie Turkewitz Federico Rios, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2023 Thus, his paean to gridlock — we’re saved! Star Tribune, 13 Nov. 2020 Management’s proposal called for the threshold to be dropped to $180 million, another factor that may gridlock many free agent negotiations. Ronald Blum, courant.com, 24 Oct. 2021 To view them as part of the landscape, like the Golden Gate Bridge or gridlock on 880. Ann Killion, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 May 2021 The crowd roared approval at the idea that their movement would gridlock the city if jurors hearing the case against former police officer Derek Chauvin failed to convict him in Floyd's death. Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2021 That policy change, according to mailing and logistics experts, would gridlock the entire postal network. Anchorage Daily News, 25 Feb. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gridlock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1980, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1981, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gridlock was in 1980

Dictionary Entries Near gridlock

Cite this Entry

“Gridlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gridlock. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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