logjam

[ lawg-jam, log- ]

noun

1. an immovable pileup or tangle of logs, log, as in a river, causing a blockage.
2. any blockage or massive accumulation:

   a logjam of bills before Congress.

Word History and Origins

Origin of logjam¹

First recorded in 1880–85; log ¹ + jam ¹

Example Sentences

Some subcontractors couldn’t meet their output quotas, creating huge production logjams when crucial parts weren’t available in the necessary sequence.

From Los Angeles Times

Many importers then quietly used the San Pedro ports to store containers, causing a logjam of ships waiting to berth and gumming up the entire supply chain system.

From Los Angeles Times

The logjam has also undercut efforts to help homeless people who are medically vulnerable, advocates said.

From Los Angeles Times

A supply of permanent housing like the Eaves is needed to prevent a logjam in the hotels and motels where people in the Inside Safe program go after leaving the streets.

From Los Angeles Times

He clearly wanted to break a logjam, after his failure to secure an absolute majority in the National Assembly in June 2022.

From BBC

Related Words

• lag
• moratorium
• postponement
• problem
• setback
• stoppage
• suspension
• wait