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Synonyms

traffic jam

American  

noun

traffic jams plural
  1. jam.


traffic jam British  

noun

  1. a number of vehicles so obstructed that they can scarcely move

"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

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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.

Like a traffic jam, even a small blockage in a single sea lane can snarl backward long after the wreckage clears.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

"But we don't yet know whether the action that starts the ridge just isn't happening or whether the traffic jam afterward isn't happening," he said.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026

"It's not like a traffic jam that becomes chaotic."

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

“While the market has been caught in quite a traffic jam of negativity lately, its uptrend, while stalled, is far from derailed,” said Eric Clark, chief investment officer at the Accuvest Global Advisors investment group.

From Barron's • Oct. 22, 2025

About halfway down the mountain, they ran into a terrible traffic jam.

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

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