1
as in halt
a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in
a new negotiator finally got both sides past the stalemate
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in tie
a situation in which neither participant in a contest, competition, or struggle comes out ahead of the other
after playing chess for 16 hours, we ended the game in a stalemate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stalemate
The Transportation Security Administration told USA TODAY that more than 1,100 personnel have left the agency amid a Department of Homeland Security funding stalemate.
—
Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
The countries appear locked in a stalemate.
—Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Kansas property tax reform stalemate The legislation would have only allowed local budgets to grow by 3% or the rate of inflation — whichever is lower — from one year to the next without risking a protest petition challenge.
—Matthew Kelly
updated April 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026
Oil prices are climbing again after a brief drop as the stalemate with Iran drags on — taking prices at the pump up with them.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stalemate
Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
The countries appear locked in a stalemate.
—Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Kansas property tax reform stalemate The legislation would have only allowed local budgets to grow by 3% or the rate of inflation — whichever is lower — from one year to the next without risking a protest petition challenge.
—Matthew Kelly
updated April 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026
Oil prices are climbing again after a brief drop as the stalemate with Iran drags on — taking prices at the pump up with them.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stalemate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stalemate
Noun
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Detroit turned up the heat on defense while Orlando’s offense came to a complete halt.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
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Today, roughly half of the global ethylene and polyethylene supply is stranded, constrained, or directly affected by the halt to commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial transit point for 20% of the world’s crude.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly ordered the Israeli military to send an Iron Dome interceptor battery - and soldiers to operate it - to the UAE after a call with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a move that demonstrates just how far ties have come.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
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That tie didn’t last long as the Phillies responded with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 4-2 lead.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Iran has only accelerated efforts to retrieve its munitions in recent days as the potential for the war to resume increases with peace negotiations at an apparent impasse, the sources said.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
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The impasse was prompted by congressional Democrats' demands for immigration enforcement reforms after the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota earlier this year.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Noun
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This freedom from conventional assumptions was, for me, both the draw of debate and its abiding lesson.—
Eli Durst,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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The Courage, meanwhile, fell to two wins, three draws and two losses.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
3 May 2026
Noun
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But ultimately the world's most important central bank still faces a political deadlock, said DealBook in The New York Times.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
26 Apr. 2026
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With a new, major contemporary art museum, Kanal-Pompidou, due to open in November; a coalition regional government that finally formed after 600 days of deadlock; and a competitive 6 percent VAT on art sales that went into effect at the end of 2025, the moment for that experimentation seems ripe.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stalemate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stalemate. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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