logjam

L1O1G2J8A1M3

noun

An excess of logs being conveyed on a river, so that their motion halts.

“Efforts to amend the law got sidetracked in an administrative logjam.”

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Meanings

nounlogjam (plural logjams)

plural logjams

  1. An excess of logs being conveyed on a river, so that their motion halts.
  2. figurativelyA clog or such jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress.

    Efforts to amend the law got sidetracked in an administrative logjam.

    2 more examples

    Mr. Clinton can break the logjam by first convincing the public that he is willing to start with small but meaningful victories.

    1994 August 28, “Mr. Clinton: Break the Logjam”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

    It is in the interest of all NATO and E.U. members to break political logjams. Our personnel operating in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and the Gulf of Aden have already learned that lesson.

    2010 October 18, Ivo H. Daalder, “Breaking a Brussels Logjam”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
verblogjam (third-person singular simple present logjams, present participle logjamming, simple past and past participle logjammed)

present singular third person logjams · participle present logjamming · participle past logjammed · past logjammed

  1. transitiveTo deliberately impede or delay the progress of.

Origin

From log + jam.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch stremming, opstopping
  • stremmingAn excess of logs being conveyed on a river
  • opstoppingA clog; any jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress
  • impasseA clog; any jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress
Finnish tukkisuma, ruuhka
  • tukkisumaAn excess of logs being conveyed on a river
  • ruuhkaA clog; any jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress
French bourrage, embouteillage
  • bourrageAn excess of logs being conveyed on a river
  • embouteillageA clog; any jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress
  • impasseA clog; any jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress
German Verklausung, Blockade
  • VerklausungAn excess of logs being conveyed on a river
  • BlockadeA clog; any jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress
  • StillstandA clog; any jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress
Russian затор, тупик
  • затор (zator)An excess of logs being conveyed on a river
  • тупик (tupik)A clog; any jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress
Spanish atascamiento, bloqueo
  • atascamientoA clog; any jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress
  • bloqueoA clog; any jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress
  • obstrucciónA clog; any jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress
  • callejón sin salidaA clog; any jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress
  • círculo viciosoA clog; any jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress
  • pescadilla que se muerde la colaA clog; any jam or mess that halts or greatly delays progress
Swedish bröt
  • brötAn excess of logs being conveyed on a river
Cite this entry
APA

logjam. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/logjam

MLA

“logjam.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/logjam. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “logjam,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/logjam.

Source: logjam on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.