Meaning
the closure of shops and offices, typically as a strike.
Etymology
Origin: Hindi
Borrowed, via Hindi हड़ताल (haṛtāl), from Gujarati હડતાળ (haḍtāḷ), હડતાલ (haḍtāl), literally “locking of shops”.
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2025.