Roads and traffic · Getting around
a tailback
long traffic queue
A tailback is a long line of slow or stationary traffic.
This vs that
There's a tailback on the motorway.
The city centre is in gridlock.
Hear it in real life
Why are you so late?
There was a tailback all the way past the next junction.
There was a huge tailback on the M25 after a lorry broke down.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
Tailback is the normal British word for a long traffic queue on a major road.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: There was a big tailback of cars in the motorway.
Say: There was a big tailback of cars on the motorway.
Use 'on the motorway', not 'in the motorway'.
Say it together
Whole chunks natives use with it.
a tailback on ___
There's a tailback on the motorway after an accident.
We were stuck in a tailback on the ring road.
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about roads and traffic.
come to a standstill
Traffic came to a standstill near the motorway.
avoid the rush hour
We should leave early to avoid the rush hour.
Roads and traffic words
Getting around · Roads and traffic: the words around “a tailback”.
More connectionsMore roads and traffic words8
More roads and traffic words
Your turn: say it out loud
There's a massive tailback on the M6.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
a tailback
long traffic queue
“There was a huge tailback on the M25 after a lorry broke down.”
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