gum up (something)
idiom
informal
: to prevent (something) from working or flowing properly
Don't use that paper with the copier; you'll gum it up.
The highway construction has really gummed up traffic.
The bearings are all gummed up with mud.
Examples of gum up (something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As the second season wears on, this notion warps the plot in ways that strain credulity, and the series’ innumerable cliffhangers gum up the narrative with artificial tension.
—
Daniel A. Gross, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2025
For a number of reasons, too many of them can gum up the works and make the muscles less responsive to signals from the brain, producing what’s called peripheral fatigue.
—Outside Online, 16 Jan. 2025
Another is that ― exactly as happened here ― folks who don't like a new statute should not be allowed to gum up the enforcement of the new statute at the last second.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Earlier this week, the president-elect warned Senate Republicans not to allow Democrats to gum up the confirmation works.
—Carl Hulse, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for gum up (something) 
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Daniel A. Gross, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2025
For a number of reasons, too many of them can gum up the works and make the muscles less responsive to signals from the brain, producing what’s called peripheral fatigue.
—Outside Online, 16 Jan. 2025
Another is that ― exactly as happened here ― folks who don't like a new statute should not be allowed to gum up the enforcement of the new statute at the last second.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Earlier this week, the president-elect warned Senate Republicans not to allow Democrats to gum up the confirmation works.
—Carl Hulse, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for gum up (something)
Dictionary Entries Near gum up (something)
Cite this Entry
“Gum up (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gum%20up%20%28something%29. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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