1
a
: a predicament affording no obvious escape
b
: deadlock
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
An impasse between congressional Democrats and Republicans over extending the tax credits has resulted in a federal government shutdown, with seemingly little momentum toward a compromise.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
The impasse has driven French bond yields higher, and threatens to hit the country’s economy, with many of its neighbors watching nervously.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025
In the face of the impasse, lawmakers, particularly Democrats, have attempted to get creative with their shutdown posturing on social media.
—Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025
Despite the funding impasse, essential federal employees including Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers are required to work without pay.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impasse
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Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
The impasse has driven French bond yields higher, and threatens to hit the country’s economy, with many of its neighbors watching nervously.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025
In the face of the impasse, lawmakers, particularly Democrats, have attempted to get creative with their shutdown posturing on social media.
—Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025
Despite the funding impasse, essential federal employees including Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers are required to work without pay.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impasse
Cite this Entry
“Impasse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impasse. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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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