deep freeze

¹

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.

deep-freeze

²

[deep-freez]

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 frozen state.

Word History and Origins

Origin of deep freeze¹

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45

Origin of deep freeze²

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

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

The housing market remains in a deep freeze, with many people finding it too expensive.

Read more on MarketWatch

This time around the market is in a deep freeze — the market hasn’t gone bust, but it’s not moving.

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The gradual increase in investor activity comes at a time when the housing market remains in a deep freeze.

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S. ties is furthering a thaw in New Delhi’s relations with Beijing, which had been in the deep freeze since a 2020 border clash between the neighbors.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Red Scare used mass fear to put a long, deep freeze on freedom of thought and creativity in America; this may be the closest parallel to what we are seeing today.

Read more on Los Angeles Times