stand·off
ˈstand-ˌȯf 
1
2
: used for holding something at a distance from a surface
a standoff insulator
stood off; standing off; stands off
Examples of standoff in a Sentence
Noun
The two governments are currently in a standoff over who has rights to the land.
after two hours they had played to a 5–5 standoff
Adjective
the client's standoff attitude suggested that this was going to be a strictly business relationship
Recent Examples on the Web
Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
The political crisis, triggered by a standoff over the government's budget, has seen the MSCI France stock index lag its peers by some distance.
—Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Dan Mangan, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
But a toxic stand off between club and player took its toll.
—Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for standoff
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Noun
This standoff goes on for almost 10 minutes before the driver finally gets out and is escorted away.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
The political crisis, triggered by a standoff over the government's budget, has seen the MSCI France stock index lag its peers by some distance.
—Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
The National Guard, police and protesters stand off outside of a downtown jail in Los Angeles following two days of clashes with police during a series of immigration raids on June 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
But a toxic stand off between club and player took its toll.
—Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for standoff
Cite this Entry
“Standoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standoff. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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