Gridlock is a complete standstill where nothing can move forward. The word originally described traffic jams in cities where intersections become so clogged that cars block each other in every direction. Imagine cars stuck at a four-way intersection: those trying to go north block the cars going east, which block the cars going south, which block the cars going west. Nobody can move an inch. That's gridlock.

The word has grown beyond traffic. When people say Congress is in gridlock, they mean lawmakers are so stuck in disagreement that no laws can pass. When a negotiation reaches gridlock, both sides refuse to budge and nothing gets accomplished. A school committee might face gridlock if members disagree so strongly about a decision that meetings go nowhere.

What makes gridlock different from ordinary delay is the complete, frustrating inability to make progress. A slow-moving traffic jam isn't gridlock if cars still inch forward. True gridlock means total paralysis. Getting out of gridlock usually requires someone to back up, compromise, or find a creative solution that breaks the deadlock.