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 Virginia Democrat questioned the White House's seriousness about the impasse, noting that the House has already left Washington and would be unable to approve an extension at this hour.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Its passage breaks a monthslong partisan impasse in Congress over immigration policy.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 June 2026
Indeed, these executives say advertisers and TV sales executives appear to be at an impasse over cable networks focused on entertainment.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 June 2026
Negotiations were shelved, leading to an impasse and stunting Wilson’s development, who was recovering from keyhole ankle surgery which was worse than first thought.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for impasse
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Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Its passage breaks a monthslong partisan impasse in Congress over immigration policy.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 June 2026
Indeed, these executives say advertisers and TV sales executives appear to be at an impasse over cable networks focused on entertainment.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 June 2026
Negotiations were shelved, leading to an impasse and stunting Wilson’s development, who was recovering from keyhole ankle surgery which was worse than first thought.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 10 June 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 12 Jun. 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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