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 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

Motorcades carrying presidents, prime ministers and monarchs to the building had priority on nearby streets and traffic was often at a standstill. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026

But as those reports circulated, and concern mounted over the business reaching a standstill as the parties to the suit waited for a trial date, several major Hollywood players began pushing for a settlement. — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026

Unleaded gas has not fallen below $2 since the 2020 Covid pandemic, which brought the global economy to a near standstill for months. — Jason Abbruzzese, NBC news, 18 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