deadlock

[ded-lok]

noun

1. a state in which progress is impossible, as in a dispute, produced by the counteraction of opposing forces; standstill; stalemate.

   The union and management reached a deadlock over fringe benefits.

   Synonyms: draw, impasse, standoff

2. deadbolt.

3. a maximum-security cell for the solitary confinement of a prisoner.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to bring or come to a deadlock.

deadlock

/ ˈdɛdˌlɒk /

noun

1. a state of affairs in which further action between two opposing forces is impossible; stalemate

2. a tie between opposite sides in a contest

3. a lock having a bolt that can be opened only with a key

verb

1. to bring or come to a deadlock

Other Word Forms

• undeadlocked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of deadlock¹

First recorded in 1770–80; dead + lock ¹

Example Sentences

The ongoing budget deadlock in the United States is threatening food security of around 42 million Americans who receive food stamps at the start of each month to help get by.

Read more on Barron's

He convened the Estates General—representing the nobles, the clergy and the commoners—to break the deadlock.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The move comes as Peruvians have mounted protests against rampant crime and years of political deadlock, under a system that has seen seven presidents come and go in a decade.

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“The figures show the stranglehold caused by the government shutdown on the IPO market, which is unlikely to return to its September glories until an end to the deadlock,” Kerr said.

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The upswing comes despite political deadlock in France.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• dilemma 
• gridlock 
• plight 
• predicament 
• standoff 
• standstill