gridlock
Americannoun
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the stoppage of free vehicular movement in an urban area because key intersections are blocked by traffic.
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the blocking of an intersection by vehicular traffic entering the intersection but unable to pass through it.
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any situation in which nothing can move or proceed in any direction.
a financial gridlock due to high interest rates.
noun
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obstruction of urban traffic caused by queues of vehicles forming across junctions and causing further queues to form in the intersecting streets
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a point in a dispute at which no agreement can be reached; deadlock
political gridlock
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of gridlock
Explanation
Gridlock is what happens when there's so much traffic on a road or highway that it slows to a stop. If your bus gets stalled in gridlock on the way to school, you'll be late for first period. While gridlock is commonly used as a synonym for a traffic jam, strictly speaking the term is more specific. During gridlock, traffic is backed up in different directions, so that lines of cars block several intersecting streets. In the worst gridlock, vehicles in the grid of streets are unable to move forward or to back up. Drivers can avoid this kind of gridlock by waiting to enter the intersection until there's room to move all the way through it.
Vocabulary lists containing gridlock
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“While the United States and Iran have been in negotiation gridlock for a while, the fact that a full-scale escalation has not materialised should be a sign of comfort by itself.”
From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026
“By distributing traffic amongst multiple locations rather than funneling it all into the central terminal area we can reduce gridlock, improve safety, and give passengers better options on how to get to LAX,” Reich said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026
Gualtieri said the vast numbers created a "gridlock" caused by "the famous problem of overtourism".
From Barron's • Dec. 19, 2025
The AA has warned of gridlock on Friday as 24.4 million cars are expected to hit the roads.
From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025
The Americans created gridlock at the entrance to Maracanã Stadium, as one athlete after another bent to take selfies with me holding that giant flag.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
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.
