standoff

1 of 3

noun

stand·​off ˈstand-ˌȯf 

1

a

: tie, deadlock

the two teams played to a standoff

b

: a counterbalancing effect

2

: the act of standing off

standoff

2 of 3

adjective

1

: standoffish

2

: used for holding something at a distance from a surface

a standoff insulator

stand off

3 of 3

verb

stood off; standing off; stands off

intransitive verb

1

: to stay at a distance from something

2

: to sail away from the shore

transitive verb

1

: to keep from advancing : repel

2

: put off, stall

Synonyms of standoff

Noun

• tie
• draw

Adjective

• detached
• distant
• cold
• remote
• cool
• dry

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

Noun

May 5 Authorities in Cape Verde refused the ship’s requests to evacuate additional sick individuals or allow passengers and crew to disembark, creating a standoff. —Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026

Consider the standoff, the protests, and the ultimate clearing of the homeless camp at Echo Park Lake a few years back. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026

Verb

Comparison can be a slippery slope as the moon stands off with Chiron. —Usa Today, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026

Seager made it 6-0 in the fourth with his three-run homer, his sixth of the year being a 382-foot drive pulled into the right-field stands off Pirates rookie Bubba Chandler (1-2). —CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1591, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Phrases Containing standoff

• Mexican standoff

Rhymes for standoff

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

standoff

noun

stand·​off

ˈstan-ˌdȯf

: a contest or game in which there is no winner : draw