a state or period of halted or suspended activity or progress.
High interest rates created a deep freeze in housing construction.
suspended animation.
to quick-freeze (food).
to store in a frozen state.
An Americanism dating back to 1940–45
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Davenport expects the deep freeze to be extended given the labor market has deteriorated, trade policy and geopolitical uncertainty are elevated and Canada’s population is shrinking.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
This was a dramatic turnaround for a relationship between two nations that had been in the deep freeze for a decade, and it will be music to President Xi Jinping 's ears.
From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026
The winter storm that sent Americans scurrying to buy snowblowers, shovels, and rock salt now has them in a deep freeze.
From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026
The city experienced a deep freeze that plunged residents into cold and darkness.
From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026
Mrs. Zuckerman lay dreaming about a deep freeze unit.
From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
