Definition of standoff
Explore M-W
Examples of standoff in a Sentence
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
Recent Examples of standoff from the Web
-
He was taken into custody after a standoff at his residence, Hatmaker said.
-
After a standoff, the White House relented, though Shaub found that a number of the waivers did not have the requisite signatures and dates.
-
Morgan County sheriff's deputies convinced 37-year-old Joseph Matthew Russell to surrender for medical treatment after a brief standoff on the bridge at Exit 322 in Falkville.
-
The central premise of the two-year standoff remains: Democrats and Republicans agree that a tax hike must be part of any solution, but Rauner says the state also needs regulatory changes to spur economic growth.
-
But most Berkeley students have zero interest in being part of a standoff between two radical factions whose grievances have everything to do with their own egos and nothing to do with the stakes of this critical moment.
-
My sense is that major philanthropists are stuck in a kind of standoff over homeless policy in San Diego, with big-wigs reluctant to pull out their checkbooks until the politicians demonstrate willingness to make tough decisions.
-
A suicidal man armed with two flare guns was arrested Thursday night after a standoff at Montgomery Middle School in southern San Diego, police said.
-
Russell had just returned home from National Guard duty to find his friends’ bodies, and soon after, police officers and federal agents, who were brought to the apartment by Arthurs after a brief standoff with him at an area smoke shop.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'standoff.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of standoff
circa 1835
standoff
Definition of standoff
1 : standoffish
2 : used for holding something at a distance from a surface a standoff insulator
Examples of standoff in a Sentence
the client's standoff attitude suggested that this was going to be a strictly business relationship
First Known Use of standoff
1837
STANDOFF Defined for English Language Learners
standoff
playDefinition of standoff for English Language Learners
-
: an argument, contest, etc., in which there is no winner
Learn More about standoff
-
See words that rhyme with standoff Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for standoff Nglish: Translation of standoff for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of standoff for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up standoff? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!