expression, ichidan verb
run aground; strike a reef; be stranded on a reef
Literal nautical sense: a ship hits a hidden reef and gets stuck.
船は暗礁に乗り上げて動けなくなった。
The ship ran aground on a reef and became unable to move.
expression, ichidan verb
reach a deadlock; come to a standstill
Idiomatic use: a plan, negotiation, or project encounters an unexpected obstacle and stalls.
交渉は予算の問題で暗礁に乗り上げた。
The negotiations hit a snag over budget issues.