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

That means the line comes to a standstill, and wait times become excessive. — Connie Ogle october 1, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026

This summer, as river levels sank, freight transport in the Rhine and Danube came to a standstill, and nuclear power stations, cooled by river water, had to be temporarily shut down. — Imogen Foulkes, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

But last month, Bass began calling for the two parties to engage with each other in good faith, saying too many productions had come to a standstill, putting people out of work. — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026

That said, growth in the vMVPD category has ground to a near standstill, with the alternative platforms notching a sequential gain of just 68,000 subs in the quarter. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 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