Word.ws English Dictionary

gapers' block

gapers' block noun: a traffic jam resulting from motorists slowing to look at a motor vehicle collision or other roadside distraction.

Noun

gapers' block (plural gapers' blocks)

  1. (Canada, US, idiomatic) A traffic jam resulting from motorists slowing to look at a motor vehicle collision or other roadside distraction.
    • In the lingo of the traffic reporters, "gapers' block" is a tie-up caused by motorists slowing down to gape at an accident.1967 March 10, “Above It All”, in Time
    • In the pretty, tranquil valley, elk were feeding just off the highway, creating a gapers block.2001, "Rocky Road Rocky Mountain National Park boasts as ear-popping drive full of peak experiences," Wichita Eagle (Kansas), 25 Mar., p. 1G

Synonyms of gapers' block

Forms of gapers' block

pluralgapers' blocks
alternative formgapers block

Questions about gapers' block

What does gapers' block mean?
Gapers' block means a traffic jam resulting from motorists slowing to look at a motor vehicle collision or other roadside distraction.
What part of speech is gapers' block?
Gapers' block is a noun.
What is the plural of gapers' block?
The plural of gapers' block is gapers' blocks.

Words near gapers' block in the dictionary

  1. gapelines
  2. gapemouthed
  3. gaper
  4. gapers
  5. gapers block
  6. gapers' block
  7. gapers' blocks
  8. gapes
  9. gapes for
  10. gapeseed
  11. gapeseeds

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: gapers' block (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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