gum up the works
idiom
informal
: to prevent something from working or flowing properly
Some dirt got inside the gears and gummed up the works.
The new regulations have really gummed up the works in the office.
Examples of gum up the works in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But there are still Senate Republicans who could gum up the works as Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) works to shepherd the legislation through the upper chamber with only three votes to spare.
—
Al Weaver, The Hill, 1 June 2025
Screenwriters, who were treated by the front office as the disposable help, got a measure of revenge by portraying their employers as idiots or vulgarians whose sole role in filmmaking was to write the checks and gum up the works.
—Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2025
They get paid millions of dollars and gum up the works.
—Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 21 Mar. 2025
For a number of reasons, too many of them can gum up the works and make the muscles less responsive to signals from the brain, producing what’s called peripheral fatigue.
—Outside Online, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gum up the works
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Al Weaver, The Hill, 1 June 2025
Screenwriters, who were treated by the front office as the disposable help, got a measure of revenge by portraying their employers as idiots or vulgarians whose sole role in filmmaking was to write the checks and gum up the works.
—Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2025
They get paid millions of dollars and gum up the works.
—Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 21 Mar. 2025
For a number of reasons, too many of them can gum up the works and make the muscles less responsive to signals from the brain, producing what’s called peripheral fatigue.
—Outside Online, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gum up the works
Cite this Entry
“Gum up the works.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gum%20up%20the%20works. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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