stand·off
ˈstand-ˌȯf 
1
2
: used for holding something at a distance from a surface
a standoff insulator
stood off; standing off; stands off
Synonyms
Examples of standoff in a Sentence
Noun
The two governments are currently in a standoff over who has rights to the land.
after two hours they had played to a 5–5 standoff
Adjective
the client's standoff attitude suggested that this was going to be a strictly business relationship
Recent Examples on the Web
Carol Schram, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
After a roughly 30-minute standoff, Cross fled again, leading to him driving the wrong way on the highway and troopers opening fire to stop him, the release states.
—Grant Lancaster, arkansasonline.com, 25 Oct. 2024
That turned into a long-running standoff in the rugged mountainous area, where each side has stationed tens of thousands of soldiers backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets.
—Ashok Sharma, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024
Zuberi was arrested in Reno, Nevada, on July 16, 2023, after a 45-minute standoff with police.
—Doha Madani, NBC News, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for standoff 
Noun
That led to a lengthy contract standoff before the restricted free agent agreed to a two-year bridge deal at a cap hit of $3.25 million on Sept. 23, after training camp opened and Winnipeg had already played its first two pre-season games.
—Carol Schram, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
After a roughly 30-minute standoff, Cross fled again, leading to him driving the wrong way on the highway and troopers opening fire to stop him, the release states.
—Grant Lancaster, arkansasonline.com, 25 Oct. 2024
That turned into a long-running standoff in the rugged mountainous area, where each side has stationed tens of thousands of soldiers backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets.
—Ashok Sharma, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024
Zuberi was arrested in Reno, Nevada, on July 16, 2023, after a 45-minute standoff with police.
—Doha Madani, NBC News, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for standoff
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'standoff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near standoff
Cite this Entry
“Standoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standoff. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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