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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gridlock
Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
The uncertainty around which voter map to use has left county election boards in a state of gridlock.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 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
Sunset Boulevard seized in gridlock as cars stacked nose to tail.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
The uncertainty around which voter map to use has left county election boards in a state of gridlock.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 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
-
The closing scene, from Cleveland’s perspective, was pain, the sting of a blown 3-1 series lead and the screeching halt of an improbable, magical journey.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
Eventually, the whole charge pump will grind to a halt, leaving no current flow.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Verb
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If the federal gas tax is suspended from June 1 through October 1, for example, Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates that a household filling up a 15-gallon tank once a week would save about $35 over those four months.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
Gauthier moved to the middle for one shift as top-line winger Troy Terry filled his spot on right wing.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
The jury had indicated a deadlock Friday morning, but the judge directed them to continue deliberating.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
Kennedy's resolution comes after federal workers faced a historic 43-day government shutdown late last year caused by a deadlock between parties over Affordable Care Act subsidies.—
Lalee Ibssa,
ABC News,
14 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 latest impasse leaves the ceasefire between the two sides in an increasingly uncertain place as the global economy gets hit by the war’s impact on trade.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
-
The Senate unanimously approved a resolution to withhold lawmakers’ pay during government shutdowns, aiming to encourage faster resolution of federal budget impasses after record-breaking closures.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Los Angeles Times,
14 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
-
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
-
Airlines housed thousands of planes in the desert when travel was at a near-standstill during the Covid-19 pandemic.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The bird retina is complex and densely packed with more than a hundred cell types that work to render the world in great resolution.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
13 May 2026
-
The Rimowa collection also features a cross-body bag in orange made in Italy from calf leather, a shopping bag, a trifold toiletry pouch and packing cubes.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gridlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gridlock. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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