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
Another is that ― exactly as happened here ― folks who don't like a new statute should not be allowed to gum up the enforcement of the new statute at the last second.
—
Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Earlier this week, the president-elect warned Senate Republicans not to allow Democrats to gum up the confirmation works.
—Carl Hulse, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
That could gum up the trade market at large, particularly for teams searching for multiple first-round picks.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
The antibodies can gum up the workings of a marauding germ or mark it for destruction by other parts of the immune system, making antibodies a critical defense against disease in our immune arsenal.
—Andrew Steele, WIRED, 17 Dec. 2024
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Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Earlier this week, the president-elect warned Senate Republicans not to allow Democrats to gum up the confirmation works.
—Carl Hulse, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
That could gum up the trade market at large, particularly for teams searching for multiple first-round picks.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
The antibodies can gum up the workings of a marauding germ or mark it for destruction by other parts of the immune system, making antibodies a critical defense against disease in our immune arsenal.
—Andrew Steele, WIRED, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gum up (something)
Dictionary Entries Near gum up (something)
Cite this Entry
“Gum up (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gum%20up%20%28something%29. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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