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

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

Then in January 2018, the eastern United States plunged into another deep freeze while the West remained stubbornly warm and dry.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Just hit the deep freeze mode button and viola, the freezer will make sure everything gets to temperature quickly.

Read more on Salon

Erdogan's Turkey did more than any other power to preserve the autonomy of Idlib province, where HTS was transforming itself into a fighting force when Syria seemed to be in the deep freeze.

Read more on BBC