stale·mate
ˈstāl-ˌmāt 
1
: a drawing position in chess in which a player is not in checkmate but has no legal move to play
2
: a contest, competition, dispute, etc., in which neither side can gain an advantage or win : deadlock
The new agreement might break the stalemate.
stalemated; stalemating; stalemates
: to bring into a stalemate
Examples of stalemate in a Sentence
Noun
The budget debate ended in a stalemate.
The new agreement could break the stalemate.
The budget debate ended in stalemate.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 24 Dec. 2025
Last year, the North avoided its first loss since 2015 by rallying from an eight-point deficit with just over three minutes remaining in the contest to forge a 14-14 tie, the first stalemate in the history of the Spanos Classic.
—Rick Hoff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
Adis Maksić, The Conversation, 19 Nov. 2025
Even if the shutdown comes to an end soon, most of the government will only have funding secured through January, which could lead to further stalemate in the not too distant future.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stalemate
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Noun
For example, patrollers in Park City, Utah, initiated a strike around last Christmas that lasted about two weeks in response to a stalemate in negotiations with its owner Vail Resorts.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 24 Dec. 2025
Last year, the North avoided its first loss since 2015 by rallying from an eight-point deficit with just over three minutes remaining in the contest to forge a 14-14 tie, the first stalemate in the history of the Spanos Classic.
—Rick Hoff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
Verb
With the high representative largely passive, Bosnia was stalemated between incompatible horizons, each side strong enough to block but too weak to prevail.
—Adis Maksić, The Conversation, 19 Nov. 2025
Even if the shutdown comes to an end soon, most of the government will only have funding secured through January, which could lead to further stalemate in the not too distant future.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stalemate
Cite this Entry
“Stalemate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stalemate. Accessed 28 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stalemate
1 of 2 noun
stale·mate
ˈstā(ə)l-ˌmāt
1
: a position in chess that results in a draw when the only piece to be moved is the king which cannot be moved without being exposed to attack by the other player's piece
2
: a drawn or undecided contest : deadlock
the two sides reached a stalemate in their negotiations
stalemate
2 of 2 verb
stalemated; stalemating
: to bring into a stalemate
the talks were stalemated over the issue of payment
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