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
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
The closer their driver got to the Flames’ home rink, the worse the traffic got until they were hopelessly stuck in gridlock still several blocks from the arena.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2026
Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
While the state Assembly derailed that initial plan, forfeiting the grant, the push for a practical remedy to gridlock never died.
—Dj Gribbin, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gridlock
Noun
Even rich celebrities aren't fully immune to the long airport security lines that congressional gridlock has created.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
The closer their driver got to the Flames’ home rink, the worse the traffic got until they were hopelessly stuck in gridlock still several blocks from the arena.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
While the state Assembly derailed that initial plan, forfeiting the grant, the push for a practical remedy to gridlock never died.
—Dj Gribbin, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gridlock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gridlock
Noun
-
It has not been publicly released, and DHS did not respond to requests to explain if the halt was permanent.—
Molly A. Wallace,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The idea to launch a podcast began during the pandemic, when touring — and the world — came to a screeching halt.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For every event that closes, such as the Johannesburg Biennale (held in 1995 and 1997) and the Marrakech Biennale (2004–16), others, like the Lagos Biennial (founded in 2017) and the Stellenbosch Triennial (founded in 2020), emerge to fill the void.—
Smooth Nzewi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Hernandez’s supervisors asked her to fill a new role in 2018, a job that did not exist anywhere else in the state.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Senate Republicans say Democrats must compromise on immigration policy, while some conservatives suggest eliminating the filibuster to break the funding deadlock.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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The partial government shutdown begins due to a deadlock between Senate Democrats and Republicans over funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an agency that is part of the DHS.—
Graham Hurley,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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But Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate find themselves at a familiar impasse, bitterly divided over which approach to take.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
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The collapse of the deal leaves Congress, now on a two-week spring break, with no easy way out of the impasse that has put the Homeland Security Department into a shutdown since mid-February.—
Stephen Groves,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 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
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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
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The war has also brought the work of cross-border smugglers to a standstill.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
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This time last season, City — viewed then as potential 2024-25 WSL title contenders and European hopefuls — skidded to a standstill.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The games bring out the fans, with big brothers and grandmas packing the stands.—
Laurie Perez,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Injury report While the Cubs head to Cleveland, right fielder Seiya Suzuki is packing his bags to Double-A Knoxville for a rehab stint.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gridlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gridlock. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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