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
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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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impasse
Such an impasse has been extraordinarily rare in recent decades.
—
Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
That’s been blamed on a partisan impasse over Homeland Security funding that includes TSA, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies.
—Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
The impasse has triggered the partial shutdown of the department, which also affects the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Coast Guard.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
Now, there's a real chance the impasse may force some smaller airports to shut down.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impasse
Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
That’s been blamed on a partisan impasse over Homeland Security funding that includes TSA, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies.
—Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
The impasse has triggered the partial shutdown of the department, which also affects the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Coast Guard.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
Now, there's a real chance the impasse may force some smaller airports to shut down.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impasse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impasse
Noun
-
The strait remains virtually closed as violence in the region escalates, bringing shipping traffic to a near-halt.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Taylor Frankie Paul‘s turn as the star of The Bachelorette has come to a screeching halt after ABC opted to shelve the premiere.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This is the current predicament of Pahlavi, whose royal charisma has never been more on the line.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
One thing the two men could agree on was that this whole predicament was Jimmy Buffett’s fault.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In an effort to break the deadlock, von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa offered this week to pay for repairs to the pipeline.—
LORNE COOK,
Arkansas Online,
20 Mar. 2026
-
In an effort to break the deadlock, von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa offered this week to pay for repairs to the pipeline.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Readers send Miss Manners not only their table and party questions, but those involving the more complicated aspects of life - romance, work, family relationships, child-rearing, death - as well as philosophical and moral dilemmas.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Mar. 2026
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Conor Healy, director of research at surveillance research publication IPVM, said Khamenei’s killing illustrates a pressing security dilemma for governments seeking to quash dissent.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the third, a stalemate ensued, with neither team able to muster much.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
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In terms of a solution to the shutdown stalemate that has left the Department of Homeland Security unfunded and TSA officers, along with other government workers, unpaid for over a month, the union argued DHS has the money to pay them but has diverted those funds to its other sub-agencies.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
So, given the resemblance, why weren’t the Jam in a pickle?—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Dill for digestion, fish dishes of all manners, and knock-your-socks-off garlicy pickles.—
Catharine Kaufman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Florida overcame a 10-point first-half deficit and dug out of a 12-point hole after intermission on Sunday, but could not close out the Hawkeyes, who will face Nebraska on Thursday in Houston.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
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The burst of activity came as Earth was hit by a complex wave of solar energy, delivering a one-two punch from multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) alongside a fast stream of solar wind from a coronal hole.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impasse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impasse. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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