gridlock

American  

[grid-lok] / ˈgrɪdˌlɒk /

noun

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

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

3. any situation in which nothing can move or proceed in any direction.

   a financial gridlock due to high interest rates.

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gridlock British  

/ ˈɡrɪdˌlɒk /

noun

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

2. a point in a dispute at which no agreement can be reached; deadlock

   political gridlock

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

• gridlocked adjective

Etymology

Origin of gridlock

An Americanism dating back to 1975–80; grid + lock ¹

Example Sentences

“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

He says the shortfall is largely attributed to the gridlock over Petronas-Petros gas distribution rights, as well as weaker crude oil and gas prices.

From The Wall Street Journal

It is one of the bloc’s few federal institutions and can make decisions affecting hundreds of millions of people without being constrained by Brussels’s political gridlock.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The scale of the outage and the sheer number of disabled traffic lights were the primary contributors to city-wide gridlock,” Waymo said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The AA has warned of gridlock on Friday as 24.4 million cars are expected to hit the roads.

From BBC

Related Words

• bottleneck
• congestion
• impasse
• logjam