bog down

British  

verb

1. to impede or be impeded physically or mentally

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bog down Idioms  

1. Become stuck, be unable to progress, as in Their research bogged down because they lacked the laboratory expertise. This expression transfers sinking into the mud of a swamp to being hampered or halted. [First half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

Yet one high-ranking officer said the continent was "completely paralysed" and bogged down in debate rather than action.

From Barron's

Seventeen of his home runs came before the All-Star break, a sign of injuries bogging down his results at the plate.

From Los Angeles Times

“But if the U.S. gets bogged down in a Latin American mess, then the appetite and capacity to intervene in other parts of the world will diminish,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal

"My wife will know when I am bogged down with frustration," he explained.

From BBC

Since the Jan. 7 fire destroyed thousands of homes, Bass has been announcing recovery strategies with great fanfare, only for them to get bogged down in the details or abandoned altogether.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• halt
• hang up
• impede
• stall