gridlock

[ grid-lok ]

/ ˈgrɪdˌlɒk /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: gridlock / gridlocked on Thesaurus.com

noun

the stoppage of free vehicular movement in an urban area because key intersections are blocked by traffic.

the blocking of an intersection by vehicular traffic entering the intersection but unable to pass through it.

any situation in which nothing can move or proceed in any direction: a financial gridlock due to high interest rates.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of gridlock

An Americanism dating back to 1975–80; grid + lock¹

OTHER WORDS FROM gridlock

gridlocked, adjective

Words nearby gridlock

gride, gridiron, gridiron pendulum, gridiron-tailed lizard, grid leak, gridlock, grid networking, grid reference, grid road, grid variation, grief

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use gridlock in a sentence

It’s very easy to see the Senate descending into one of its most gridlocked periods in an era already marked by gridlock.
The case against Democrats nuking the filibuster|Aaron Blake|January 22, 2021|Washington Post
Hendricks says removing this provision, which essentially lets one party veto measures it doesn’t like, would be helpful in eliminating some of the gridlock.
New Senate leadership could finally help us fight climate change|Ula Chrobak|January 13, 2021|Popular-Science
On Wednesday, the 10-year Treasury moved above 1 percent for the first time since March, as the outcome of the Georgia Senate race seemed to indicate the possibility of less gridlock, making another stimulus a more realistic possibility.
Fixed mortgage rates sink to lowest levels in history but could be headed higher|Kathy Orton|January 7, 2021|Washington Post
On Wednesday, congressional leaders neared an agreement on a roughly $900 billion relief package after months of partisan gridlock.
Fed leaders more optimistic on jobs, GDP growth at final 2020 policy meeting|Rachel Siegel|December 16, 2020|Washington Post

To be sure, Wall Street’s pundits and market strategists, along with plenty of journalists and even some top academics, are touting divided government gridlock as great news for the markets.
Is gridlock really ‘nirvana’ for stocks? Investors should be wary of these four potential perils|Shawn Tully|November 5, 2020|Fortune
So is partisan gridlock just a symptom of how we raise our kids?
Crazy Partisanship Begins at Home|David Freedlander|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Most of all, Orman reflects a bubbling Main Street frustration with hyper-partisan gridlock.
The Kansas Independent Who Could Control the Senate|John Avlon|September 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Such admiration for the American system sounds strange in this era of gridlock and bickering.
Communism's Victims Deserve a Museum|James Kirchick|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yes, gridlock frustration and national debt nausea are understandable.
Flushing Money Down the Tea Party Toilet|Tom Dougherty|August 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So today, gridlock in Washington simply mirrors who we are and where America is.
Four Decades of Declining Trust in D.C.|Lloyd Green|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then our nation was gripped by economic distress, social decline, political gridlock.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006|Various

British Dictionary definitions for gridlock

gridlock

/ (ˈɡrɪdˌlɒk) mainly US /

noun

obstruction of urban traffic caused by queues of vehicles forming across junctions and causing further queues to form in the intersecting streets

a point in a dispute at which no agreement can be reached; deadlockpolitical gridlock

verb

(tr) (of traffic) to block or obstruct (an area)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

gridlock

Origin of gridlock

OTHER WORDS FROM gridlock

Words nearby gridlock

Words related to gridlock

How to use gridlock in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for gridlock