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
From the M-W Editors
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.
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
First Known Use: 1765
stalemate
Definition of stalemate
transitive verb
: to bring into a stalemate
1765
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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