Synonyms of impasse

impasse

noun

ˈim-ˌpas 

1

as in halt

a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in

in their bitter custody battle, the divorcing couple are at a total impasse

Synonyms & Similar Words

• halt
• deadlock
• stalemate
• gridlock
• standstill
• standoff
• predicament
• jam
• logjam
• dilemma
• Mexican standoff
• problem
• quandary
• pickle
• plight
• bottleneck
• hole
• bind
• quagmire
• morass
• dead end
• fix
• corner
• difficulty
• pinch
• spot

2

as in predicament

a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape

the impossible impasse faced by those who opposed the war but did not want to seem disloyal to the troops

Synonyms & Similar Words

• predicament
• dilemma
• pickle
• hole
• bind
• swamp
• corner
• jam
• difficulty
• quagmire
• mire
• fix
• box
• crisis
• rabbit hole
• spot
• kettle of fish
• jackpot
• plight
• rattrap
• sticky wicket
• catch-22
• deadlock
• stalemate
• quandary
• trouble
• hot water
• node
• soup
• standstill
• emergency
• halt
• crossroad
• exigency
• logjam
• pinch
• juncture
• strait
• clutch
• scrape

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of impasse

At the time, the government was partially shut down due to an impasse over Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding following high-profile enforcement incidents. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2026

The impasse had been complicated by a lawsuit that Geo filed in early June, before the TB case was confirmed. — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2026

The impasse leaves Washington treating its naval presence as a permanent fixture guaranteeing access, while Tehran treats that same presence as the primary obstacle to normalizing traffic. — Chloe Taylor,anniek Bao, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026

Creator Zoe Lister-Jones stars as Mae, an urbanite at a marital impasse, looking ahead to a future that promises only domestic stagnation. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026