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
Relevance
as in to fill
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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 Wingard, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Fireworks were suspected as the cause and the fire resulted in gridlock on busy Coast Highway.
—Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 7 July 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
While workforce development often suffers from fragmented governance and political gridlock, the examples in Workforce Realigned suggest real consensus.
—Jason Wingard, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Fireworks were suspected as the cause and the fire resulted in gridlock on busy Coast Highway.
—Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gridlock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gridlock
Noun
-
Combine that with a high-interest-rate environment and uncertainty over peace in the Middle East, spending came to a halt.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
Freep.com,
14 July 2025
-
Over the years, the lighthouse was used as a museum and a coffee shop, but erosion from the sea forced that to come to a halt.—
Celia Fernandez,
CNBC,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
Many in the City of London fear that Reeves will try to fill a growing hole in her fiscal plans by increasing taxes on the financial services sector, such as an increase in the bank levy, or on wealthy individuals.—
Ritika Gupta,
CNBC,
15 July 2025
-
The National Mining Association (NMA) estimates the sector will need to fill tens of thousands of jobs over the next decade to maintain production levels.—
Ed Macha,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
The tension continued to build until Mexico released the pressure with a set piece goal to break the deadlock in the 77th minute.—
Kevin Dotson,
CNN Money,
6 July 2025
-
But even his involvement hasn't broken the deadlock.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
Verb
-
Public opposition to the fee helped cork the proposal.—
Sarah Scoles,
JSTOR Daily,
11 June 2025
-
The brash freshman who spent much of the season bragging to teammates about his power corked a bat to crush balls even farther.—
Chandler Rome,
The Athletic,
20 Aug. 2024
Noun
-
Negotiations to secure a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas seem to have hit an impasse amid hopes from top mediators, including President Donald Trump’s Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, that a deal can be reached soon.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
-
The 1,300-member Judicial Professional Employees Union, which represents probation officers, information technology analysts, assistant clerks, counselors and other support staff, announced an impasse July 2.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
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
-
For his big plan, Yu can use them along with geographic information system (GIS) and satellite imagery to track China’s landscape changes as urbanization spreads, as estuaries and deltas silt up, as water starts to move differently across landscapes and cityscapes.—
Erica Gies,
Scientific American,
1 Dec. 2018
Noun
-
By leaving, work in the chamber came to a standstill because the state Constitution requires at least 100 of the 150 members to be present before any legislation can be considered on the floor.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
18 July 2025
-
Multiple regional media outlets have indicated that Vietnamese companies are increasing their market presence in Cambodia as border trade with Thailand came to a standstill.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
16 July 2025
Verb
-
For adults and parents, packing a Kindling pretzel in their kid's lunch or giving it as a snack feels like a small victory.—
Dave Knox,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
Black Bean Brownies Black bean brownies are fudgy, indulgent, and packed with protein, making for a rich and satisfying dessert.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gridlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gridlock. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share