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
Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2026
While Washington is known for its gridlock and inaction, this tax season, business owners are benefiting from the pro-growth provisions in the Working Families Tax Cut.
—Blanche Lincoln, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 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 so, Jet Linx’s Walker says experience has helped the industry better manage game-day gridlock at airports never designed for this level of demand, at least to a point.
—Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2026
While Washington is known for its gridlock and inaction, this tax season, business owners are benefiting from the pro-growth provisions in the Working Families Tax Cut.
—Blanche Lincoln, Boston Herald, 15 Apr. 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
-
Which is why Michael’s final cut screeches to a halt in 1988, just as the star has broken out from his family and reached a new zenith as a solo performer.—
Jasmine Vojdani,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The Covid pandemic brought production to a halt, and then the writers and actors guild strikes shut down production again for months in 2023.—
Julia Boorstin,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Mundo Maya is a region filled with natural wonders, historic remnants, architectural and archaeological beauty, and modern-day luxuries.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Apr. 2026
-
It's filled with plants, so don't picture a giant mud hole.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Republicans hold a 12–10 edge on the committee, which means Tillis’s single vote is enough to create an 11–11 deadlock and keep the nomination frozen.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The European Union on Thursday approved a 90-billion-euro ($106-billion) loan package to help Ukraine meet its economic and military needs for two years after oil began flowing through a key pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia, ending months of political deadlock.—
Karel Janicek,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
That report goes to the school board, which then holds its own impasse hearing and makes a decision.—
Steven Walker,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Oil was again trading at over $100 a barrel Thursday as the impasse continued to disrupt shipping through the strait, a chokepoint for roughly a fifth of the world's crude oil and natural gas.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But the estuary, which had been silting up since the 11th century, had different ideas.—
Rob Crossan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Mar. 2026
-
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
-
The video shows cars at a standstill with people telling them not to move.—
Joe Bruno,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The country’s labor market didn’t come to a standstill, as was the case in other countries in the region such as the United Arab Emirates where the vast majority of workers are migrants who tried to leave, but for Rozen, something new and troubling was laid bare.—
Theia Chatelle,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Section Two of the 1965 Voting Rights Act aimed to prevent mapmakers from weakening the voting power of racial minorities by either packing them into one district or spreading them out across too many districts to have an impact.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Naturally, the room was packed.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gridlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gridlock. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
