gridlock 1 of 2

as in halt
a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in with the White House controlled by one party and Congress by the other, the nation experienced four years of legislative gridlock

Synonyms & Similar Words

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gridlock

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gridlock
Noun
Despite bipartisan enthusiasm to address online harms, congressional gridlock has continued for years, meaning that lawsuits like the ones featured in Can’t Look Away might be a more effective remedy. Parmy Olson, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2025 Then the blue team can get control of at least one chamber and again do nothing, but do it with the special verve that comes from gridlock: power without responsibility. Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
Their effort has been criticized as a road to gridlock while, in the aftermath instead, a summer of litigation and investigation of actions has played out. Alan Wooten | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 Aug. 2024 Hitler exploited his 37% to gridlock legislative processes, to cudgel or crush the political opposition, and ultimately to undermine the country’s democratic structures. Timothy Ryback, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for gridlock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gridlock
Noun
  • Taylor Walls belted a homer and drove in three runs, Danny Jansen added a two-run shot and Brandon Lowe had a solo homer for the Rays, who saw their four-game winning streak come to a halt.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 June 2025
  • Zero visibility strategy: In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, initiate your hazard lights and locate a secure spot, such as a nearby business parking area, to pull over and come to a halt.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • No other blood could possibly have made it onto Negan’s boot in this zombie apocalypse filled with violence.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Lavish parties and gatherings filled its grand halls, attracting prominent figures from politics, business, and the arts.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 June 2025
Noun
  • His Administration maintains that only top-level talks can break the current deadlock.
    Nik Popli, Time, 5 June 2025
  • This followed a previous meeting in which votes on the initial seven applicants also resulted in 3–3 deadlocks.
    Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • Public opposition to the fee helped cork the proposal.
    Sarah Scoles, JSTOR Daily, 11 June 2025
  • The brash freshman who spent much of the season bragging to teammates about his power corked a bat to crush balls even farther.
    Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 20 Aug. 2024
Noun
  • In response to an impasse over the issue at a club meeting, the footballers walked out, went down the street to a nearby restaurant, and founded Football-Club Bayern Munchen.
    Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 7 June 2025
  • Even so, Exodus was at an impasse when Hammett got an unexpected call from Metallica.
    Steve Appleford, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • For his big plan, Yu can use them along with geographic information system (GIS) and satellite imagery to track China’s landscape changes as urbanization spreads, as estuaries and deltas silt up, as water starts to move differently across landscapes and cityscapes.
    Erica Gies, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2018
  • All the while, the Guadalquivir River, which allowed ships into Seville, began to silt up, forcing trade southward to the coastal town of Cádiz.
    Walker Mimms, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2023
Noun
  • The supercar can achieve 62mph from a standstill in under three seconds and produces 1,984lbs (900kg) of downforce at 155mph.
    Trinity Francis, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • Weeks went by and then months with Paul and the producers at odds, and the project was at a standstill.
    Matt Wolf, Vulture, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • The storms are packing pea-sized hail (0.25 inches) and wind gusts of up to 30 mph.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2025
  • The Tony ceremony was front-loaded and action-packed The Tonys didn’t give audiences much of a chance to get bored, packing the show with performances right out of the gate.
    Gordon Cox, Variety, 9 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gridlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gridlock. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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