Thesaurus results for STALEMATE

stalemate

noun

ˈstāl-ˌmāt

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

Relevance

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of stalemate While the stalemate on Capitol Hill continues, federal workers at airports and other agencies under Homeland Security are left in limbo and uncertainty. —

Victor Jacobo, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026 Bias, hate and stalemate serves no one for very long. —

Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026 Curtis’s opposition will cause a stalemate in a committee vote if all Democrats also vote against him. —

The Hill Staff, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2026 Four years is long enough to grow accustomed to almost anything, and the president believes that Ukraine has been successful—both here in the capital and to the east, where the war is frozen in something close to a stalemate. —

Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stalemate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stalemate

Noun

But Ukraine’s successes came to a halt after the liberation of Kherson in November 2022.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, initiate your hazard lights and locate a secure spot, such as a nearby business parking area, to pull over and come to a halt.

— NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026