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
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as in to fill
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Recent Examples of gridlock
Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 11 Feb. 2025
For one week every March, gridlock reigns, yet the locals have developed a survival strategy.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025
Alan Wooten | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 Aug. 2024
Hitler exploited his 37% to gridlock legislative processes, to cudgel or crush the political opposition, and ultimately to undermine the country’s democratic structures.
—Timothy Ryback, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gridlock
Noun
Following up the series’ universal storyline, Season 2 takes the audience back to a massive gridlock — this time caused by a truck losing its cargo on the highway.
—Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 11 Feb. 2025
For one week every March, gridlock reigns, yet the locals have developed a survival strategy.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
Their effort has been criticized as a road to gridlock while, in the aftermath instead, a summer of litigation and investigation of actions has played out.
—Alan Wooten | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 Aug. 2024
Hitler exploited his 37% to gridlock legislative processes, to cudgel or crush the political opposition, and ultimately to undermine the country’s democratic structures.
—Timothy Ryback, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gridlock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gridlock
Noun
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But his career came to a screeching halt later that year.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA TODAY,
18 Mar. 2025
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His term began with large-scale immigration raids, a halt to asylum processing for undocumented migrants, and executive orders aimed at expanding the authority of ICE to arrest and detain those in the country illegally.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The bar quickly fills up with patrons sporting suits and ties.—
Cindy Carcamo,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2025
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Photos show Morris’ vehicle destroyed, its roof caved in, the hood crushed, its wheels twisted outward and ruined interior seemingly filled with debris.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Yesterday’s pangrams were cloaked, deadlock and deadlocked.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
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Crean Lutheran went on an 11-0 run after a 57-57 deadlock in the fourth quarter to defeat host Brentwood 62-52 in Division 1.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The brash freshman who spent much of the season bragging to teammates about his power corked a bat to crush balls even farther.—
Chandler Rome,
The Athletic,
20 Aug. 2024
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Pair with a bottle of wine or corked beverage of choice for an even more elevated gift.—
Rachel Fletcher,
Architectural Digest,
9 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The impasse raises the likelihood that the debt ceiling will be dealt with separately as part of a deal with the Democrats on wildfire aid later this year.—
David Sivak,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
25 Mar. 2025
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Don't be surprised if Beijing and Washington use this impasse as a bargaining chip in tariff talks.—
Dan Primack,
Axios,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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For his big plan, Yu can use them along with geographic information system (GIS) and satellite imagery to track China’s landscape changes as urbanization spreads, as estuaries and deltas silt up, as water starts to move differently across landscapes and cityscapes.—
Erica Gies,
Scientific American,
1 Dec. 2018
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All the while, the Guadalquivir River, which allowed ships into Seville, began to silt up, forcing trade southward to the coastal town of Cádiz.—
Walker Mimms,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2023
Noun
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The next, a data breach or natural disaster brings operations to a standstill.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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The coordinated effort, which included regular meetings between the NSC, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department, has largely come to a standstill.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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It's packed with vitamin C-rich yuzu fruit extract, which also supports your skin's barrier and moisture retention.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
18 Mar. 2025
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Green Tea Green tea is packed with plant compounds like the catechin epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.6 Green tea contains around 29.4 milligrams of caffeine per cup, much less than what’s found in coffee.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
18 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gridlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gridlock. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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