as in jam
a crowded mass (as of cars) that impedes or blocks movement
knowing that there was a big traffic jam-up ahead, we took the detour that the locals always use
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Recent Examples of jam-up
Without enough beds for continuing care outside the hospital, the jam-up ripples back to that ER hallway.
—
Tom Wolzien, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Tom Wolzien, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jam-up
jam
Noun
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Karla Brustad has put on sing-alongs, strum alongs, hootenannies and all sorts of free community jams, getting folks singing and playing the ukulele.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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In the season opener against Lemont, Sokolnicki entered the game with two runners on base and no outs in the top of the seventh inning and worked his way out of the jam with just three pitches.—
Bobby Narang,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jam-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jam-up. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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