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gridlock Definition

grid·lock (gridläk′)

noun

  1. a traffic jam, as at an intersection, in which no vehicle can move in any direction
  2. any obstructed condition or impasse airport gridlock, gridlock in the Senate

Etymology: grid + lock

transitive verb

to cause gridlock in

gridlock Related Forms

grid·locked′ adjective

gridlock Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • avoid: How are we to avoid gridlock becoming common place in our major metropolitan areas?
  • prevent: In fact, privately Darling knows that more radical measures are needed to prevent the gridlock.
  • cause: We are working flat-out to bring reduce water losses as fast as we can without causing gridlock in London, where leakage is highest.
  • create: Surely, the priority should be to get the traffic off the roundabout - not create gridlock?
  • have: If there is not a substantial move to public transport we will have gridlock and the whole regeneration will not work,' he says.
  • face: Our roads and transport system in general did not face total gridlock.

Preposition: at

time: Meanwhile the congestion on the western half of town already close to gridlock at some times of day will be worse.

Adjective modifier

  • total: What we didn't expect was a total gridlock on the motorway about 6 Km short of Murcia.
  • political: Too expensive, too political, too much gridlock and dissatisfaction.
  • projective: Such couples could be said to be in a kind of ' projective gridlock ' .

Preposition: on

road: They were watching for the " nightmare scenario " - complete gridlock on the inner ring road surrounding the central charging zone.

Modifying Another Word

  • already: Industry cannot wait until 2020 for improvements to the motorway network, such as the M6 north of Birmingham which is already gridlocked daily.
  • often: Although often gridlocked by traffic, LA moves to a rhythm all of its own.

Noun used with modifier

  • traffic: The objective of Rush Hour is to move the little red car out of the snarled up traffic gridlock that the game begins with.
  • road: BBC News, 6/6/05 Charging plan aims to prevent road gridlock.
  • transport: How Britain could be gridlocked Daily Express, May 18 2003 Every day, we are always on the brink of transport gridlock.

Preposition: in

traffic: Do you whiz to work on your bike or sit in the car gridlocked in traffic?

Preposition: for

hour: I thought of them and my Australian passport as I sat in traffic gridlock for four hours last week.

Modifies a noun

  • scenario: Rush Hour arrives with 40 challenge cards, which depict various gridlock scenarios to set up your traffic jam to.
  • traffic: Take on the mob, the police and the gridlock traffic of Turin for glorious riches or a life behind bars.

Browse dictionary entries near gridlock

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  10. gri-gri
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  4. Grieg, Edvard Hagerup
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