1
as in jam
a crowded mass (as of cars) that impedes or blocks movement the presence of an ambulance on the side of the highway created a logjam of rubberneckers who just had to have a look

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2
as in halt
a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in efforts to break the logjam in the talks between union and management

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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 logjam The key for Howard to get on the field is making a difference on special teams, given the logjam in the unit. Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 30 May 2025 The logjam has created a severe student loan forgiveness delay for anyone relying on IDR or PSLF programs to cancel their debt after years of payments. Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025 And logjams throughout the roster mean that Rice is difficult to slot in on defense without learning a new position, which is a difficult ask. Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025 The logjam at the position is returning — and Wright, ever the professional, is preparing for a change in role. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for logjam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for logjam
Noun
  • Amanda Edwards/WireImage Unlike luxury fashion or high-end accessories, where scarcity is often a deliberate strategy to generate buzz, products like jam and wine fall into the realm of everyday indulgences.
    Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
  • Bison jams are not uncommon in Yellowstone, given that the national park has ranged from a population of 3,500 to nearly 6,000 of the animals, according to the National Park Service.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • About three-quarters of the way through the video, the song screeches to a halt, as the video shows four men listening to a boombox.
    Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 5 July 2025
  • On the conflict in Ukraine, Ushakov said Trump emphasized his push for a quick halt to the fighting, and Putin voiced Moscow’s readiness to pursue talks with Kyiv, noting the previous rounds in Turkey yielded humanitarian results.
    Vladimir Isachenkov, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
Noun
  • It’s cleverly done, with the audience treated to a young Ollie Rathbone weaving in and out of an opposition defence to score with a thumping finish in junior football just moments before being shown doing exactly the same to break the deadlock after 15 minutes.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 27 June 2025
  • Giving more countries a veto might result in nothing but more deadlock.
    Amanda Chicago Lewis, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • As production ramped up, process engineers, who sometimes patrolled the assembly line with stopwatches, looked for bottlenecks and rejiggered the assembly line.
    Verne Kopytoff, Fortune, 5 July 2025
  • Entrepreneurs can adopt this approach by eliminating bottlenecks, empowering teams to make independent decisions, and prioritizing outcomes over the number of hours worked.
    Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
Noun
  • These sweeping orders have frustrated both Democratic and Republican presidents seeking to implement their agendas among gridlock in Congress, and the fight over them has been simmering for several years.
    June 27, CBS News, 27 June 2025
  • Today’s partisan gridlock preventing national legislation relating to criminal justice reform, voting rights protections and due process rules for migrants are just a few of the areas that need immediate action.
    Michael Higginbotham, Baltimore Sun, 16 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Turner spent a decade in Indiana, but the NBA's two-time blocks leader seemed to be at an impasse with his state of affairs in Indianapolis.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025
  • But, until this year, there was little movement due to the impasse between Amazon executives and the longtime shepherds of all things Bond, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
    Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Logjam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/logjam. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

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