gum up (something)
idiom
informal
: to prevent (something) from working or flowing properly
Don't use that paper with the copier; you'll gum it up.
The highway construction has really gummed up traffic.
The bearings are all gummed up with mud.
Examples of gum up (something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Deborah Fisher, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, told Forbes that NDAs don’t supersede the state’s public records law, but have been used to gum up access to information.
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Sarah Emerson, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
That deception has concrete impacts: Plastic bags that mistakenly end up at recycling centers can gum up machinery, start fires and contaminate bales of paper, which then can’t be recycled.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2024
Beyond causing poor performance, old gasoline resins can gum up fuel lines and carburetors, wreaking havoc on your engine’s fuel delivery system.
—Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 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
See all Example Sentences for gum up (something) 
Sarah Emerson, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
That deception has concrete impacts: Plastic bags that mistakenly end up at recycling centers can gum up machinery, start fires and contaminate bales of paper, which then can’t be recycled.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2024
Beyond causing poor performance, old gasoline resins can gum up fuel lines and carburetors, wreaking havoc on your engine’s fuel delivery system.
—Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 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
See all Example Sentences for gum up (something)
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gum up (something).' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Gum up (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gum%20up%20%28something%29. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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