as in halt
a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in
in the battle over bedtime the parents and their son are at a Mexican standoff
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Recent Examples of Mexican standoff
The top echelon of Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon has dissolved into a circle of mutual recrimination and enmity worthy of a Mexican standoff from a Quentin Tarantino film.
—
The Editors,
National Review,
28 Apr. 2025
Ahmet Şık, a former journalist and an opposition MP, likened the situation to a Mexican standoff, a confrontation in which no strategy exists that allows any party to achieve victory.
—
Guney Yildiz,
Forbes,
24 May 2021
The Editors,
National Review,
28 Apr. 2025
Ahmet Şık, a former journalist and an opposition MP, likened the situation to a Mexican standoff, a confrontation in which no strategy exists that allows any party to achieve victory.
—
Guney Yildiz,
Forbes,
24 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Mexican standoff
halt
Noun
-
Gulf primary bond issuance came to an abrupt halt in the wake of the conflict, with corporate and sovereign bond yields jumping as geopolitical tensions escalated.
-
Wrangling my emotions became the difference between sputtering to a halt and moving forward.
Cite this Entry
“Mexican standoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Mexican%20standoff. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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