stalemate

1 of 2

noun

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.

also : the state of being stalemated

The budget debate ended in stalemate.

stalemate

2 of 2

verb

stalemated; stalemating; stalemates

transitive verb

: to bring into a stalemate

Synonyms of stalemate

Noun

• halt
• impasse
• deadlock

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

Noun

The two chambers have been embroiled in a long stalemate over property tax cuts and have failed to pass any new comprehensive budget since 2023. —Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026

But the war lasted six more years, much of it in a military stalemate. —Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026

Verb

The president’s budget arrives as the House and Senate remain tangled over current-year spending and stalemated over DHS funding, with Democrats demanding changes to Trump’s immigration enforcement regime that Republicans are unwilling to accept. —Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026

The president's budget arrives as the House and Senate remain tangled over current-year spending and stalemated over DHS funding, with Democrats demanding changes to Trump's immigration enforcement regime that Republicans are unwilling to accept. —Lisa Mascaro, Arkansas Online, 4 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

obsolete English stale stalemate (from Middle English, from Anglo-French estaler to stalemate, from estal station, position) + English mate entry 1 — more at installment entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1765, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stalemate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids 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