1
a
: a predicament affording no obvious escape
an impossible impasse in which accepting a pardon meant admitting guilt
b
: deadlock
Negotiations are at an impasse.
2
: an impassable road or way : cul-de-sac
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.
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 on the Web
The impasse raises new questions about Lebanon.
—Munir Ahmed, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
The interview, which will be published in full on Sunday online, comes as talks between Washington and Havana seem to have hit an impasse.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
Multiple polls throughout the shutdown suggested that most voters blamed Republicans for the impasse, and that ICE enforcement was largely unpopular, dynamics that Democrats have seized on as evidence that the political risks of confrontation may be shifting in their favor.
—Nik Popli, Time, 7 Apr. 2026
The Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association and the school district have been at an impasse since November over salary increases for the current school year.
—Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impasse
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Munir Ahmed, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
The interview, which will be published in full on Sunday online, comes as talks between Washington and Havana seem to have hit an impasse.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
Multiple polls throughout the shutdown suggested that most voters blamed Republicans for the impasse, and that ICE enforcement was largely unpopular, dynamics that Democrats have seized on as evidence that the political risks of confrontation may be shifting in their favor.
—Nik Popli, Time, 7 Apr. 2026
The Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association and the school district have been at an impasse since November over salary increases for the current school year.
—Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impasse
Cite this Entry
“Impasse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impasse. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
impasse
noun
im·passe
ˈim-ˌpas, im-ˈpas 
: a point in especially labor negotiations at which reaching an agreement is impossible because neither party is willing to compromise or change position
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