Meaning & use
clogging
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“clogging” is a form of “clog”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
The -ing form of clog: blocking a passage so that liquid, air or traffic cannot flow through freely.
Grammar: With an object: hair is clogging the drain; without one: the pipe keeps clogging.
Patterns
- clogging up something
- clogging something with something
Leaves are clogging the gutters again.
The sink keeps clogging because of grease.
Cars were clogging the roads after the football match.
noununcountable
The act or result of a passage becoming blocked.
Grammar: Uncountable noun: clogging can cause flooding.
Patterns
- clogging of something
Clogging of the filter reduced the water flow.
Regular cleaning prevents clogging in the pipes.
noununcountable
A traditional style of folk dance performed in wooden-soled shoes that tap out a rhythm.
Grammar: Uncountable name of a dance style: she learned clogging.
Patterns
- a clogging team
- go clogging
She joined a clogging group and learned the steps.
Clogging is popular at folk festivals in the mountains.
Common combinations
- clogging the drain
- Hair was clogging the drain.
- clogging up the road
- Heavy traffic was clogging up the road.
- clogging the arteries
- Too much fat can lead to fat clogging the arteries.
- clogging the filter
- Dust was clogging the filter.
- prevent clogging
- A strainer helps prevent clogging.
Synonyms and how they differ
- blocking
- Blocking is the general word for stopping a passage, while clogging suggests a slow buildup of material.
- jamming
- Jamming suggests something stuck tightly, often a machine, while clogging suggests a flow of liquid or traffic.
- choking
- Choking suggests nearly stopping a flow, and it is often used about plants, engines or smoke.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: clogging or cogging?
clogging vs cogging
Cogging relates to cogs or gears and is a technical engineering term, while clogging refers to blocking.
Practice
Which sentence uses clogging as a blockage?
Choose one answer.
Clogging the sink means blocking it with grease. The other sentences use the word wrongly or with the wrong grammar.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “clogging”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.