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

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.

Example Sentences

“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

Nationwide inventory is finally climbing back from recent lows, with a steady influx of new properties hitting the market as the severe seller gridlock of the past few years begins to ease.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

All of which risks tipping the delicate balance into chaos and gridlock, critics warn.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

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 • Mar. 2, 2026

The gridlock in the parking lot was so intractable that, even though the races ended at 6:30 P.M., it would be well into Sunday morning before everyone got out of the track.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Related Words

• bottleneck
• congestion
• impasse
• logjam