gum up

British  

verb

1. to cover, dab, or stiffen with gum

2. informal to make a mess of; bungle (often in the phrase gum up the works )

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gum up Idioms  

1. Ruin or bungle something, as in The front office has gummed up the sales campaign thoroughly. This idiom is also put as gum up the works, as in John's changes in procedures have gummed up the works in the shipping department. [Slang; c. 1900]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gum up

Big banks’ profit engines are humming along even as geopolitics keep threatening to gum up the works.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

The fact that some liquid in the tank is reacting to become a solid is probably what happened to gum up the valve leading into the tank.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2026

There are three specific cases, however, where changing course halfway through does gum up the works, and you’re better off leaving things as they are, the experts say.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 23, 2026

However, the Federation of Small Businesses has expressed reservations about the plan, warning that unlimited settlements "would be difficult and further gum up tribunals".

From BBC ● Dec. 11, 2025

But the United States differs from Europe in ways that can gum up the mobility machine.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Related Words

• bungle