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tie-up

tie-up

3 6.3
A situation where normal activity stops or slows because of a block
  • noun
  • /ˈtaɪˌʌp/
: embotellamiento
  • There was a tie-up at the intersection of Woodward and Warren.
  • traffic tie-ups
  • massive tie-ups

Examples

  • There was a major tie-up on the highway due to an accident, resulting in a long delay.

  • The traffic tie-up caused commuters to be late for work this morning.

  • There was a little bit of a tie-up on the bridge.

  • Well, except the first major tie-up had nothing to do with the storm.

    Blog text (27)
  • In fishing ports around the coast today, many fishing boats are tied up, unable to go to sea.

  • And we have ships tied up at port who can't unload and we have nothing to export.

  • Those who couldn't see what caused the tie-up blew their horns.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Where's the tie-up with the train holdup?

  • During rush hour, the city often experiences several tie-ups that slow down travel significantly.

Synonyms

standstill
vstie-up
32 3.5

A time when movement or activity stops completely

is often a stoppage or slowdown rather than only a complete halt
holdup
vstie-up
  • US
22 3.8

A delay that stops something from moving forward

is a situation of stopped or slowed activity rather than an intentional act
logjam
vstie-up
9 7.5

A situation where talks or plans cannot move forward because of a big problem

is any stoppage or slowdown that need not involve complex or unusual causes
major hold-up
vstie-up
4.1

A big delay that stops or slows progress

is any stoppage or slowdown and can be less severe or routine

How Disrupted

shutdown
184 4.1
gridlock
12 4.6
tie-up
3 6.3
jam
55 2.7
delay
405 1.3
slowdown
51 3.7

Surface Forms

tie-up singular
tie-ups plural

Morphology

tie-up = tie + up (opaque) = tie + up

Although it comes from 'tie up', the traffic-blockage sense is a conventional idiom and is not directly predictable from the literal meanings of 'tie' and 'up'.

Etymology

The word tie-up uses the image of being 'tied up' so you cannot move, like a boat tied to a dock. That's why a tie-up means a stoppage or delay when work, traffic, or systems are held still.