as in halt
a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in
with the White House controlled by one party and Congress by the other, the nation experienced four years of legislative gridlock
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to fill
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gridlock
Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 14 May 2026
The new eastbound lane is designed to help travelers, airport workers and Queens residents beat that gridlock.
—Christina Fan, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Waiting until the last minute can lead to gridlock on the road for you and obstruct first responders trying to get to the active fire zone.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gridlock
Noun
The people’s champ might wind up being UFC CEO Dana White, whose letter to the White House, first reported by the Closing Line, could help relieve Congressional gridlock regarding the deduction limit.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 14 May 2026
The new eastbound lane is designed to help travelers, airport workers and Queens residents beat that gridlock.
—Christina Fan, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Verb
Long lines of vehicles gridlock Indiana 49 as far north as U.S. 12 as visitors from Northwest Indiana and nearby states journey to the park.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Waiting until the last minute can lead to gridlock on the road for you and obstruct first responders trying to get to the active fire zone.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gridlock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gridlock
Noun
-
As Russia’s advance stalls, Ukraine boosts long-range strikes After a series of gains last year, Russia’s advances along the over 600-mile front line have ground to a near halt recently, and Ukraine’s armed forces have launched successful counterstrikes and reclaimed some ground.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
The painstaking work of clearing depots has ground to a halt, overtaken by a more volatile reality.—
Euan Ward,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Authorities suspect that the cooling system responsible for maintaining the temperature of the tank filled with methyl methacrylate, or MMA, failed.—
Iris Kwok,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
-
Terrazas was poised for a big year, but more than half of the varsity team was filled by freshmen.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Oil prices rise, stocks fall over Hormuz deadlock Oil prices rose and stocks slipped on growing signs that the Strait of Hormuz was likely to remain all but shut for the foreseeable future.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 May 2026
-
Then Hertl broke the deadlock — and now the Golden Knights just need to win one of four games.—
Mercury News,
Mercury News,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Carlin Karr, director of wine and beverage at Stuckey’s restaurants — including Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder — believes roughly 1 in 10 wine bottles are off in taste, or corked.—
Jeremy Harlan,
CNN Money,
16 July 2025
-
Public opposition to the fee helped cork the proposal.—
Sarah Scoles,
JSTOR Daily,
11 June 2025
Noun
-
The rival teams were supposed to meet Sunday afternoon to figure a way out of the impasse.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 May 2026
-
After weeks of exchanging proposals, Iran’s latest offer did not show significant concessions on critical sticking points, according to a person familiar with the matter, who said issues of nuclear enrichment remain central to the impasse.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
23 May 2026
Verb
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But the estuary, which had been silting up since the 11th century, had different ideas.—
Rob Crossan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The rock was originally silt on the seafloor that, it's argued, hosted early microbial life that was buried by more silt, leaving the carbon as their remains.—
Howard Lee,
ArsTechnica,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Despite the biturbo and hugely powerful combustion engine, the Temerario’s traction from a standstill is incredible, like an EV.—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
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Analysts say relief at the pump likely will not come until a resolution becomes clear over the conflict in Iran, which has left trade traffic in the Strait of Hormuz at a standstill.—
Victor Jacobo,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Staff helped the social workers pack their cars, keeping in-person delivery contacts to a small group so that families could build trust with the people showing up at their homes.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
Be prepared to be led into temptation at every corner because this tiny neighborhood is packed to the gills with luxury shopping from Bottega Veneta to Prada.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gridlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gridlock. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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