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
Relevance
as in to fill
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
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
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
Too many rules and approvals cause gridlock, while silos create uneven driving conditions across the organization.
—Lindsay Phillips, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gridlock
Noun
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
Verb
Time is running out for Democrats and Republicans in Congress to strike a compromise, and neither side appears to be budging in a debate where partisan gridlock could lead to the closing of everything but essential government services.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
Too many rules and approvals cause gridlock, while silos create uneven driving conditions across the organization.
—Lindsay Phillips, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gridlock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gridlock
Noun
-
The authors advocate for a complete halt in superintelligent AI development.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
19 Sep. 2025
-
His five-year tenure came to a screeching halt after the designer did not appear at the end of the fall 2011 show.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The fall sale is here at Nordstrom, and it’s filled with deals on top brands and trendy looks for every style and budget.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The appointments of Stacie Brown and Monty Baugh in March 2024 filled the remaining seats on the board.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As a deadlock in Congress has prevented passage of the federal budget, Democrats have garnered increasing attention for drawing a line on this particular issue.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Advertisement Amid the apparent deadlock in negotiations, both parties are seeking to put blame for a potential shutdown on their opponents.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Public opposition to the fee helped cork the proposal.—
Sarah Scoles,
JSTOR Daily,
11 June 2025
Noun
-
Bailey argued that the district’s dispute with local police departments over its requirement that officers participate in diversity training — an impasse that resulted in some departments leaving schools without resource officers — had left students vulnerable.—
Jeremy Kohler,
ProPublica,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Some Republicans see the shutdown impasse as a gift.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Ragasa brought finance hub Hong Kong and swathes of southern China to a standstill on Wednesday, after barreling through remote islands in the Philippines and mountainous regions of Taiwan.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The rains brought the state capital to a standstill, seriously hampering preparations for the upcoming Durga Puja — the biggest annual festival of Hindus in West Bengal state.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Nordstrom’s cold-weather section is packed with markdowns on must-have seasonal pieces, from stylish outerwear to versatile jeans.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
-
In reality, many of these foods are nutrient-packed and can support overall health when eaten as part of a balanced diet.—
Morgan Pearson,
Verywell Health,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gridlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gridlock. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share