gum up the works
idiom
informal
: to prevent something from working or flowing properly
Some dirt got inside the gears and gummed up the works.
The new regulations have really gummed up the works in the office.
Examples of gum up the works in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Every time Freedom Caucus members gum up the works for Republicans, Jeffries is able to paint it as Republican ineptitude rather than having to answer questions about Democratic obstruction.
—
Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2025
But Democrats can still use procedural gimmicks to gum up the works.
—Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twin Cities, 24 Nov. 2024
Theoretically, either could gum up the works — denying the president a governor slot — by holding onto those positions rather than resign, though that would not be the historical norm.
—Neil Irwin, Axios, 18 July 2024
In one scheme recently exposed by the Federal Trade Commission, pharmaceutical companies improperly listed patents on a federal registry to gum up the works and delay generic competition, enabling them to continue charging sky-high prices for medicines people need.
—Dick Durbin and Lina M. Khan, STAT, 2 July 2024
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Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2025
But Democrats can still use procedural gimmicks to gum up the works.
—Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twin Cities, 24 Nov. 2024
Theoretically, either could gum up the works — denying the president a governor slot — by holding onto those positions rather than resign, though that would not be the historical norm.
—Neil Irwin, Axios, 18 July 2024
In one scheme recently exposed by the Federal Trade Commission, pharmaceutical companies improperly listed patents on a federal registry to gum up the works and delay generic competition, enabling them to continue charging sky-high prices for medicines people need.
—Dick Durbin and Lina M. Khan, STAT, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for gum up the works
Dictionary Entries Near gum up the works
Cite this Entry
“Gum up the works.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gum%20up%20the%20works. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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