Synonyms of impasse

impasse

noun

ˈim-ˌpas 

1

as in halt

a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in

in their bitter custody battle, the divorcing couple are at a total impasse

Synonyms & Similar Words

• halt
• deadlock
• stalemate
• gridlock
• standstill
• standoff
• predicament
• jam
• logjam
• dilemma
• Mexican standoff
• problem
• quandary
• pickle
• plight
• bottleneck
• hole
• bind
• quagmire
• morass
• dead end
• fix
• corner
• difficulty
• pinch
• spot

2

as in predicament

a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape

the impossible impasse faced by those who opposed the war but did not want to seem disloyal to the troops

Synonyms & Similar Words

• predicament
• dilemma
• pickle
• hole
• bind
• swamp
• corner
• jam
• difficulty
• quagmire
• mire
• fix
• box
• crisis
• rabbit hole
• spot
• kettle of fish
• jackpot
• plight
• rattrap
• sticky wicket
• catch-22
• deadlock
• stalemate
• quandary
• trouble
• hot water
• node
• soup
• standstill
• emergency
• halt
• crossroad
• exigency
• logjam
• pinch
• juncture
• strait
• clutch
• scrape

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of impasse

The government and Eastside hit an impasse due to the $5 million sale price disagreement for several months. — Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026

The conflicts, including a marathon 15-day impasse with Disney, stemmed from YouTube TV‘s steady growth into a dominant pay-TV operator just nine years after its debut. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 29 June 2026

Speaker Mike Johnson is meeting with the president today amid the legislative impasse. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 25 June 2026

Simultaneously, contract negotiations with center Walker Kessler are at an impasse over a five-year, $140 million offer, with Kessler reportedly frustrated. — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026