# gapers' block

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/gapers-block
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A traffic jam resulting from motorists slowing to look at a motor vehicle collision or other roadside distraction.

## Examples

- Traffic is slow because of a gapers' block ahead.
- We were late to the meeting because a minor accident on the highway caused a massive gapers' block.
- Commuters grew increasingly frustrated as the flow of traffic ground to a halt, trapped in a long gapers' block caused by onlookers staring at the wreckage.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.