jam; get stuck; falter
Meanings
3 senses · 11 examplesverb
(of a firearm) to jam; to have a shell casing stuck in the chamber
technicalTechnical term describing a firearm malfunction where the spent cartridge fails to eject.
The gun jammed—get down!
This old rifle jams frequently.
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A jam during shooting is extremely dangerous.
verb
to get stuck; to grind to a halt; to stall (of work, negotiations, projects, etc.)
neutralFigurative extension describing any process that encounters obstacles and stops temporarily.
The negotiations stalled on the intermediate clauses.
The project has been stuck at the approval stage for three months.
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Due to funding issues, the construction suddenly ground to a halt.
This matter is stuck—what do you think we should do?
verb
to get tongue-tied; to falter in speech; to choke up (while speaking)
neutralDescribes suddenly forgetting what to say or being unable to continue speaking due to nervousness or mental blocks.
He was speaking on stage and suddenly got tongue-tied.
I got so nervous that I suddenly choked up and forgot my lines.
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Don't be afraid, you won't get tongue-tied.
The interviewer stared at him, and he actually choked up.