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
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
Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Friday’s widespread storms that served up floods and gridlock to afternoon commuters from the Keys to Coral Gables should begin to taper off as people head back out for a night on the town.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gridlock
Noun
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
Verb
Similarly, France’s government faces a confidence vote on Monday after bond vigilantes sent French yields higher on expectations for more gridlock and no progress on reining in deficits.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Friday’s widespread storms that served up floods and gridlock to afternoon commuters from the Keys to Coral Gables should begin to taper off as people head back out for a night on the town.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gridlock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gridlock
Noun
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But just as the journey was about to begin, COVID-19 forced everything to a halt.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
13 Sep. 2025
-
At Walt Disney World in Orlando free buses from the airport to its on-site hotels ground to a halt along with contactless room keys which came in the form of collectable wristbands.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At night, the fire crackled while insects filled the air and a distant lion let out a low, steady rumble.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Companies are increasingly stepping into roles traditionally held by colleges, universities, and trade schools, creating their own certification programs to address skill gaps that formal education hasn't filled.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Ceasefire talks ended in deadlock in July.—
Emily Rose,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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On June 30, three months into the standoff, the Missouri Senate Insurance and Banking Committee called the two sides in for a hearing that broke months of deadlock and prompted new proposals from Anthem.—
Bram Sable-Smith,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
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
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Public opposition to the fee helped cork the proposal.—
Sarah Scoles,
JSTOR Daily,
11 June 2025
Noun
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In Pennsylvania, lawmakers have still not broken out of the impasse, spelling financial distress for schools and counties that rely particularly heavily on state funding.—
Isabella Volmert,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
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Big names in new places Just last season, the Colorado Avalanche reached an impasse with their leading scorer, star forward Mikko Rantanen, who was in the final year of his contract with the team.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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Historically, the region itself was created by the natural flooding and silting processes of the Mississippi River, which flows across the breadth of the state before spilling into the Gulf of America.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Noun
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One reason the stock has lagged its peers over the past few months could be related to spin purgatory — the idea that breakup stories are stuck in a standstill until investors become more interested closer to the completion date.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
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Production at the plant came to a standstill during the raid, but Schmidt said operations have resumed – though at reduced capacity.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Another metaphor is packing a moving truck.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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Follow immediately with the second pad, packed with retinol and antioxidants to boost collagen and calm the skin.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gridlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gridlock. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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