standstill

noun

stand·​still ˈstan(d)-ˌstil How to pronounce standstill (audio)
: a state characterized by absence of motion or of progress : stop
brought traffic to a standstill

Examples of standstill in a Sentence

The accident brought traffic to a standstill. battled each other to a standstill
Recent Examples on the Web Striking workers have brought railways and airports to a standstill. Erika Solomon, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024 His election ended a chaotic three-week span that brought legislative business in the House to a standstill and left the GOP conference bruised. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2024 But those efforts came as the conference has struggled with deep divisions that has at times brought the House to a standstill. Ken Tran, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 The major studios spent much of that time locked in labor disputes with the leading actors and writers unions, which led to two costly strikes that ground film production to a standstill. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 Production at Tesla's electric vehicle plant in Germany came to a standstill and workers were evacuated after a power outage that officials suspect was caused by arson. Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024 New York Times Atlanta’s mayor is demanding Microsoft bring 15,000 jobs to the city, or get out—pressuring the organization to follow through on partnership that has been at a standstill. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 But the prospects appeared unlikely with the talks at a standstill. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2024 Schools and businesses are largely closed, financial transactions are at a standstill, the airport is not functioning, and barely anything is coming in through the ports or the border with the DR. Amy Wilentz, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'standstill.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of standstill was in 1702

Dictionary Entries Near standstill

Cite this Entry

“Standstill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standstill. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

standstill

noun
stand·​still -ˌstil How to pronounce standstill (audio)
: a state marked by absence of motion or activity : stop
traffic was at a standstill

Medical Definition

standstill

noun
stand·​still ˈstand-ˌstil How to pronounce standstill (audio)
: a state characterized by absence of motion or of progress : arrest
cardiac standstill

More from Merriam-Webster on standstill

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