grid ‧ lock /ˈɡrɪdlɒk $ -lɑːk/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable] especially American English
1 . a situation in which streets in a city are so full of cars that they cannot move
2 . a situation in which nothing can happen, usually because people disagree strongly SYN stalemate :
The battle over spending led to gridlock.
—gridlocked adjective