as in jam
a crowded mass (as of cars) that impedes or blocks movement
knowing that there was a big traffic jam-up ahead, we took the detour that the locals always use
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Recent Examples of jam-up
Without enough beds for continuing care outside the hospital, the jam-up ripples back to that ER hallway.
—
Tom Wolzien, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Tom Wolzien, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jam-up
jam
Noun
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Many of the major players during the formative years of psychedelia and jam-rock during the 1960s and ‘70s had bluegrass somewhere in their foundation — Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Moby Grape.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
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Jam cakes are a popular vintage recipe from all over the South, but the type of jam is usually dependent on what's fresh in the area.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jam-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jam-up. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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