logjam

noun log·jam \ ˈlȯg-ˌjam , ˈläg- \

|Updated on: 29 Jul 2018

Examples: logjam in a Sentence

Definition of logjam

1 : a jumble of logs jammed together in a watercourse

2 a : deadlock, impasse

trying to break the logjam in negotiations

b : blockage

c : jam, crowd

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logjam

transitive verb

See logjam defined for English-language learners

Examples of logjam in a Sentence

He was called in to try to break the logjam in the negotiations.
the presence of an ambulance on the side of the highway created a logjam of rubberneckers who just had to have a look

Recent Examples of logjam from the Web

The Phillies have a logjam at first base already, with Carlos Santana holding down the spot while Rhys Hoskins plays in the outfield.

— ben pope, Philly.com, "Phillies prospect Joey Meneses looks MLB-ready, whether here or elsewhere," 9 July 2018
Miami has a logjam in the backcourt, but Matthews could potentially provide some spot minutes as a 3-and-D guy at small forward and therefore bring some balance to the Heat’s rotation.

— rohan nadkarni, SI.com, "Kawhi-to-Boston and More NBA Draft Day Trades That Should Happen," 18 June 2018
Unable to use its network of tank farms, PDVSA is rerouting cargoes back to its ill-equipped ports in Venezuela, causing a logjam of tankers around the main sea terminals.

— lucia kassai, Houston Chronicle, "ConocoPhillips may be worse for Venezuela than U.S. sanctions," 11 May 2018
But the logjam — which representatives privately blame on the Senate, and senators privately blame on the House — could strengthen the hand of Baker, a Republican in the midst of a reelection campaign.

— joshua miller and matt stout, BostonGlobe.com, "Mass. Legislature could strengthen Charlie Baker’s hand with budget delay," 12 July 2018
The Suns, assuming a trade happens soon to break up the logjam at wing and bring a serviceable NBA point guard to town, should move ahead of those three.

— jay dieffenbach, azcentral, "How LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers decision impacts Phoenix Suns in 2018-19, beyond," 2 July 2018
Eight of the players in that logjam aren’t ranked in the top 50, and three of those haven’t cracked the top 170.

— sam farmer, latimes.com, "It's a crowded U.S. Open leaderboard, with big names and some not so well known," 15 June 2018
But a statutory cap of 10,000 such visas per year has resulted in a logjam: Last year, 33,500 assault victims applied for U visas — more than three times the number available.

— cora engelbrecht, New York Times, "Fewer Immigrants Are Reporting Domestic Abuse. Police Blame Fear of Deportation.," 3 June 2018
My own Capitol Hill visits revealed bipartisan support for the bill, but there were also doubts about how much can get done this year on any topic — barring a break in the logjam.

— tom still, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "In Trump’s Washington, both parties looking for clarity," 16 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'logjam.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of logjam

1885

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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logjam Synonyms

Synonyms

deadlock, gridlock, halt, impasse, stalemate, standoff, standstill;

Related Words

dead end;

bind, bottleneck, corner, dilemma, fix, hole, jam, morass, pickle, pinch, plight, predicament, quagmire, quandary, spot;

difficulty;

problem;

LOGJAM Defined for English Language Learners

logjam

noun

Definition of logjam for English Language Learners

: a situation in which a large number of logs floating down a river become tangled with each other so that further movement is not possible
: a situation in which no progress seems possible