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
British officials downplayed the pause as temporary, insisting momentum would resume amid complex negotiations, but the impasse signals broader frustrations with Europe’s regulatory posture toward American innovation, market access, and economic sovereignty.
—Daniel Ross Goodman, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Five teachers unions from Sacramento, West Sacramento, Woodland and Rocklin have reached an impasse with their respective school districts after the parties failed to reach a labor agreement.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 9 Jan. 2026
That impasse ended in late October 2025, when Charles ordered his brother to surrender the lease on Royal Lodge.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Status quo continues until there is a new agreement or there’s an impasse in negotiations.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impasse
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Daniel Ross Goodman, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Five teachers unions from Sacramento, West Sacramento, Woodland and Rocklin have reached an impasse with their respective school districts after the parties failed to reach a labor agreement.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 9 Jan. 2026
That impasse ended in late October 2025, when Charles ordered his brother to surrender the lease on Royal Lodge.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Status quo continues until there is a new agreement or there’s an impasse in negotiations.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Jan. 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 11 Jan. 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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