1
as in halts
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
2
as in ties
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 stalemates
The stalemates were the latest in the finger-pointing between Democrats and Republicans over who was responsible for the prolonged shutdown.
—
Lawrence Andrea, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Netanyahu once shunned long wars and ground operations, aware of the cost and political capital that resulted in indecisive conclusions or stalemates.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Lawrence Andrea, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Netanyahu once shunned long wars and ground operations, aware of the cost and political capital that resulted in indecisive conclusions or stalemates.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stalemates
Noun
-
The leaders of China and South Korea moved to rebuild relations after years of weakening economic ties and a closer Seoul-Washington partnership.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Throw in Champions League away ties at Monaco and the holders Paris Saint-Germain too.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
YouTube has navigated similar impasses with other entertainment companies this year.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Similar sticking points have led to impasses in the separate negotiation processes, now requiring a third party to assist with mediation and fact-finding.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
To play the same numbers for consecutive draws, mark the Advance Play box.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The weeknight games could be big draws, too.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for reform of the Security Council's permanent members in his annual statement on the anniversary of the United Nations charter, arguing that the current establishment excludes key global voices and suffers from too many deadlocks.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Twice in recent years, the board spent months facing regular partisan deadlocks — first after Nathan Fletcher resigned in 2023 and again after Nora Vargas left office early this year.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stalemates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stalemates. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share