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• deep freeze
  deep freeze

  noun

  a state or period of halted or suspended activity or progress.
• deep-freeze
  deep-freeze

  verb (used with object)

  to quick-freeze (food).

deep freeze

¹ American  

noun

1. a state or period of halted or suspended activity or progress.

   High interest rates created a deep freeze in housing construction.

2. suspended animation.

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idioms

1. put in / into the deep freeze, to stop or suspend the activity or progress of.

   A series of quarrels put their romance into the deep freeze.

deep-freeze ² American  

[deep-freez] / ˈdipˈfriz /

verb (used with object)

deep-freezed, deep-froze, deep-freezed, deep-frozen, deep-freezing

1. to quick-freeze (food).

2. to store in a frozen state.

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Etymology

Origin of deep freeze¹

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45

Origin of deep-freeze²

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50; deep + freeze

Example Sentences

Two years after a cold-storage operator delivered the year’s largest public offering, the U.S. market for refrigerated warehouse space is in the deep freeze.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

History reminds us big stand offs between London and Washington, such as the UK resisting American pressure to send troops to Vietnam, don't have to banish relations to a perpetual deep freeze.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

Consider these statistics about the deep freeze in the labor market:

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

The pandemic’s housing rush—followed by its deep freeze caused by rising prices and mortgage rates—also played a part.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

Warren was the logical place—the deep freeze where I could be put away for the rest of my days.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes