Definition of impasse
1a : a predicament affording no obvious escapeb : deadlock
2 : an impassable road or way : cul-de-sac
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Examples of impasse in a Sentence
The players are poised to strike after Thursday's games because they believe, with good reason, that if no agreement is reached by the end of the post-season, the owners will declare an impasse … —Murray Chass, New York Times, 9 Aug. 1994
We seem to have been forced into an impasse. We need to understand why space-time singularities have the structures that they appear to have; but space-time singularities are regions where our understanding of physics has reached its limits. —Roger Penrose, The Emperor's New Mind, 1989
I think the civil rights movement in its early and middle years offered the best way out of America's racial impasse: in this society, race must not be a source of advantage or disadvantage for anyone. —Shelby Steele, Harper's, June 1988
An arbitrator was called in to break the impasse.
She had reached an impasse in her career.
Recent Examples of impasse from the Web
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The worst case would be if the budget impasse can't be resolved.
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Other 'F' words may come to mind for Elgin-area social service programs and school districts when discussing the budget impasse in Springfield — fear, futility, future.
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Still, at the core of the impasse is a reality that shows no signs of changing: the gaps on the core issues—1967 borders, the status of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state—are Grand Canyon-like.
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SMALL BUSINESS Centers aimed at helping small businesses thrive in Illinois have also had a difficult time, with closures during the impasse.
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Aurora area state lawmakers and Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster deplored the budget impasse in statements as the legislative session ended.
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The state budget isn't the only issue at an impasse, either.
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Investors have long punished the state for its financial woes, and the penalty has only gotten worse amid the impasse.
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The president did not mention the impasse in his only public remarks after the summit meeting, to American troops at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'impasse'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of impasse
French, from in- + passer to pass
First Known Use: 1851
IMPASSE Defined for English Language Learners
impasse
playDefinition of impasse for English Language Learners
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: a situation in which no progress seems possible
Law Dictionary
impasse
playLegal Definition of impasse
: a point in especially labor negotiations at which reaching an agreement is impossible because neither party is willing to compromise or change position
Learn More about impasse
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See words that rhyme with impasse Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for impasse Spanish Central: Translation of impasse Nglish: Translation of impasse for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of impasse for Arabic speakers
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