Grammar fix
gridlock
traffic completely stuck
A situation in which traffic cannot move because roads are completely blocked or overcrowded.
How oftenCommon
LevelB2
Used inSpeech & writing
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
A lorry broke down on the bridge and caused gridlock for several hours.
Last time I flew out of Tan Son Nhat, the roads round the airport were total gridlock, so I ended up getting out of the taxi and walking the last bit.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: The city centre was in total deadlock this morning.
Say: The city centre was in total gridlock this morning.
'Deadlock' is for talks or arguments where nobody agrees; for traffic that can't move, say 'gridlock'.
Don't confuse it
Other ways to say it
Too many cars on the road
Where you'd hear itChatNews
traffic jamEveryday: vehicles are stuck or moving very slowly.
gridlockYou're here · Everything is stuck, often across a whole city.
traffic congestionNews and travel reports, rarely in chat.