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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as in to fill
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gridlock
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026
For anyone who’s ever been stuck in afternoon rush hour gridlock on the way to an afternoon flight, that alone can be reason enough to choose the first departure of the day.
—Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
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
Noun
The city needs to remove those trees and build a ramp garage to eliminate the on-street parking to ease some of the downtown gridlock created by increasing density.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026
For anyone who’s ever been stuck in afternoon rush hour gridlock on the way to an afternoon flight, that alone can be reason enough to choose the first departure of the day.
—Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 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
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In May 2021, one of the largest fuel pipeline systems in the United States was paralyzed when a cyberattack brought operations to an abrupt halt.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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But Friday night, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily paused that judicial order to allow time for an appeals court to decide whether to issue a more lasting halt.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Dodgers could add Tucker to fill the massive hole in their outfield.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Beijing — When Ho Puay-peng first visited Beijing’s Forbidden City in the late 1980s, the Singaporean architect saw many of the historic courtyards used for storage, filled with garbage, and occupied by danwei (government offices).—
Fred He,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Breaking the deadlock There was certainly a time where most Australians thought the quotas would never come in.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
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That breakthrough altered the deadlock of WWI and inspired the global development of tanks as a means for breakthrough, not just static defence.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Carlin Karr, director of wine and beverage at Stuckey’s restaurants — including Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder — believes roughly 1 in 10 wine bottles are off in taste, or corked.—
Jeremy Harlan,
CNN Money,
16 July 2025
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Public opposition to the fee helped cork the proposal.—
Sarah Scoles,
JSTOR Daily,
11 June 2025
Noun
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That impasse ended in late October 2025, when Charles ordered his brother to surrender the lease on Royal Lodge.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
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Status quo continues until there is a new agreement or there’s an impasse in negotiations.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The rock was originally silt on the seafloor that, it's argued, hosted early microbial life that was buried by more silt, leaving the carbon as their remains.—
Howard Lee,
ArsTechnica,
11 Aug. 2025
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Historically, the region itself was created by the natural flooding and silting processes of the Mississippi River, which flows across the breadth of the state before spilling into the Gulf of America.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, German manufacturing orders have come to a standstill amid tariff uncertainty, even outpacing the precipitous decline experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, narrowly avoiding a recession.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
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What Happens Next Congress remains at a standstill over funding, meaning wages for federal workers remain on hold, as do vital services.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In 2011, a Muslim militant blew himself up in a mosque at a police compound in Cirebon packed with officers during Friday prayers, injuring 30 people.—
NPR,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
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These under-$30 advent calendars pack plenty of festive fun.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gridlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gridlock. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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