standstill

noun

stand·​still ˈstan(d)-ˌstil 

: a state characterized by absence of motion or of progress : stop

brought traffic to a standstill

Synonyms of standstill

• halt

Examples of standstill in a Sentence

The accident brought traffic to a standstill.

battled each other to a standstill

Recent Examples on the Web

The movement of the crowd has been brought to a near standstill at points by the sheer quantity of people. — Soph Warnes, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026

On top of that, the waist-high water brought production to a standstill for three weeks. — Bella Webb, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2026

However, the case hit a standstill when the jury was unable to reach a verdict on voluntary manslaughter, resulting in a mistrial. — Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2026

But across higher education, new efforts have come to a standstill, said Richard Cellini, who previously led a Harvard University project to identify descendants of people enslaved by Harvard’s past leaders. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing standstill

• crawl to a stop/standstill

Rhymes for standstill

• anthill
• backfill
• bluegill
• crossbill
• distil
• distill
• downhill
• dunghill
• foothill
• fulfil
• fulfill
• goodwill

Kids Definition

standstill

noun

stand·​still -ˌstil 

: a state marked by absence of motion or activity : stop

traffic was at a standstill

Medical Definition

standstill

noun

stand·​still ˈstand-ˌstil 

: a state characterized by absence of motion or of progress : arrest

cardiac standstill