Definition of stalemate
1 : a drawing position in chess in which a player is not in checkmate but has no legal move to play
2 : a drawn contest : deadlock; also : the state of being stalemated
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Examples of stalemate in a Sentence
The budget debate ended in a stalemate.
The new agreement could break the stalemate.
The budget debate ended in stalemate.
Recent Examples of stalemate from the Web
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Hoping to move past a budget stalemate, Republicans in the state Senate on Tuesday proposed a spending plan that would rely on borrowing for roads and eliminate a property tax paid by businesses.
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The state budget stalemate won't shut down the clinic's suboxone treatment program for opioid users because that's funded through a federal grant.
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Trump’s frustration with the Syrian stalemate and hesitation to oust Assad suited Putin much better than Clinton’s plans for more direct engagement.
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The House, meanwhile, is mired in procedural stalemate with both parties — and chambers — blaming one another.
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The Houthis are now well-entrenched in Southern Yemeni cities, and the battle has reached a stalemate.
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Meanwhile, up north in Wisconsin, the ongoing budget stalemate is getting folks even testier than usual.
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At the center of the budget stalemate is a controversial plan that would shake up the state's largest health insurer, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield.
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Illinois is locked in a political stalemate, and in danger of becoming the first U.S. state to have its debt downgraded to junk status.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stalemate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of stalemate
obsolete English stale stalemate (from Middle English, from Anglo-French estaler to stalemate, from estal station, position) + English 1mate — more at installment
stalemate
Definition of stalemate
transitive verb
: to bring into a stalemate
First Known Use of stalemate
1765
STALEMATE Defined for English Language Learners
stalemate
playDefinition of stalemate for English Language Learners
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: a contest, dispute, competition, etc., in which neither side can gain an advantage or win
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: a situation in chess in which a player cannot successfully move any of the pieces and neither player can win
Learn More about stalemate
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See words that rhyme with stalemate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for stalemate Spanish Central: Translation of stalemate Nglish: Translation of stalemate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of stalemate for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stalemate
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