1
as in tie
a situation in which neither participant in a contest, competition, or struggle comes out ahead of the other
after two hours they had played to a 5-5 standoff
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in halt
a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in
the standoff continued for three days before the fugitive gave himself up to the authorities
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in detached
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others
the client's standoff attitude suggested that this was going to be a strictly business relationship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of standoff
Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 29 Apr. 2025
Full Story How Trump’s tariffs are snarling supply chains
Despite signs of a thaw earlier this week, Washington and Beijing are locked in a standoff on tariffs, and global supply chains are feeling the pressure.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2025
Fabian Ardaya, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
The sun standing off with Uranus brings an erratic dynamic.
—USA TODAY, 16 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for standoff
Noun
When the gun-toting men ended up in a three-way standoff, LaRoche spun to shot the thief, but not before the man put a bullet in McGee’s shoulder.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 29 Apr. 2025
Full Story How Trump’s tariffs are snarling supply chains
Despite signs of a thaw earlier this week, Washington and Beijing are locked in a standoff on tariffs, and global supply chains are feeling the pressure.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
General manager Brandon Gomes stood off to the left alongside pitching coach Mark Prior as Sasaki went through his delivery, high leg kick and all.
—Fabian Ardaya, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
The sun standing off with Uranus brings an erratic dynamic.
—USA TODAY, 16 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for standoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standoff
Noun
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Certainly, Pakistan has in the past had ties to some of the many militant groups in Kashmir.—
Ayesha Jalal,
The Conversation,
8 May 2025
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Cufflinks, tie pins, jewelry passed down through generations—this wasn’t fashion for fashion’s sake.—
Melissa Noel,
Essence,
8 May 2025
Noun
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But America's oldest-running distillery ground to a halt last month amid historic and deadly flooding, when Buffalo Trace master distiller Harlen Wheatley says the nearby Kentucky River rose to over 48 feet.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
3 May 2025
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Operations to release public records requests largely ground to a halt, according to half a dozen current or former employees.—
Rachana Pradhan,
CNN Money,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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Having lived in a 400-square-foot accessory dwelling unit over a detached garage in California before moving to Colorado, Barr was the only person on the council in favor of adopting the Neighborhood Housing Opportunities initiative.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2025
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The detached garage, at the back of the driveway, holds one car.—
Angela Serratore,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Goldberg, in response, slowly turned back to face the camera with a sheepish look on her face.—
Emlyn Travis Published,
EW.com,
5 May 2025
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Vatican's 'May Madness': Will new pope be progressive or will church turn back the clock?—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
4 May 2025
Noun
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The enduring draw of karma The concept of karma is rooted in the worldview of many Asian religious traditions, like Hinduism and Buddhism, but it’s also become prevalent in other places, including nonreligious communities.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
1 May 2025
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Winners in Florida have 180 days from the draw date to claim prizes and are encouraged to sign their ticket, according to the Florida Lottery.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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If the impasse continues, Liverpool will have a big decision to make.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
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Tedford said that in order to break the impasse, Trump may need to either reduce tariffs on China or agree to Beijing’s request for lower-level talks with a specific administration representative.—
Alex Gangitano,
The Hill,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That changed with ecclesiastical reforms introduced under Pope Gregory X, who mandated a minimum 10-day waiting period to allow time for prayer and reflection—and for distant cardinals to travel to Rome.—
Barney Henderson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 May 2025
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They were supposed to go to distant retrograde orbit — the DRO in the pair's name — around the moon, to help provide navigation and tracking for spacecraft in Earth-moon space.—
Julian Dossett,
Space.com,
8 May 2025
Verb
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According to The Game Business Newsletter, some major publishers deliberately held off on confirming their games for Q4 to avoid competing against GTA VI.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
2 May 2025
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Cal: Ohio State transfer Devin Brown is the front-runner based on experience, but the Golden Bears are another program that will hold off making a final call until camp.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Standoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standoff. Accessed 12 May. 2025.
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