1
as in tie
a situation in which neither participant in a contest, competition, or struggle comes out ahead of the other
after two hours they had played to a 5-5 standoff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in halt
a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in
the standoff continued for three days before the fugitive gave himself up to the authorities
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in detached
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others
the client's standoff attitude suggested that this was going to be a strictly business relationship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stand off
Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
Expressing your authentic self may be misinterpreted while the sun stands off with Neptune.
—USA TODAY, 20 Sep. 2024
Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
After a three-hour standoff, management relented and allowed the family to stay two more nights.
—Spencer Norris, ProPublica, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stand off
Noun
Everything felt familiar about the first as Victor Kristiansen stood off Ethan Nwaneri, allowing a dangerous cross to be clipped in.
—Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
Expressing your authentic self may be misinterpreted while the sun stands off with Neptune.
—USA TODAY, 20 Sep. 2024
Adjective
Sending out a drone ahead of officers could help prevent dangerous standoffs, informing responding officers whether a suspect is armed or not, according to Gerges Shields, who served on an internal work group that crafted the new policy.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
After a three-hour standoff, management relented and allowed the family to stay two more nights.
—Spencer Norris, ProPublica, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stand off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stand off
Noun
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Two other players with local ties — Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears (Joliet) and Michigan big man Danny Wolf (Glencoe) — are projected first-round picks, with Fears expected to go in the top 10.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
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Investors are divided between preferring Musk focus on his businesses and hoping political ties would bring regulatory perks.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Loyalty is hard to maintain when authenticity falters and innovation halts.—
Paul Fitzgerald,
Rolling Stone,
23 June 2025
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The Tatum injury sent Boston’s dynastic rise into a screeching halt.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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There’s a gated driveway and car port tucked way off and alley, and a detached prefab ADU by Jason Halter of Wonder has a outside entrance from the street and adds another bedroom.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
14 June 2025
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Managing national security affairs is not a detached experiment.—
Arthur House,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2025
Verb
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When one fan stood on the other side of the table, awkwardly hoping to get Cyrus’ attention, the Grammy winner briefly smiled for the photo with the fan and then turned back to Campbell to continue their conversation, prompting the fan to quietly walk away.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
25 June 2025
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Temperatures will slowly start to ease on Wednesday, especially for some in the Midwest and New England, but Thursday will mark the true turn back toward more normal June warmth for many in the eastern half of the country.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
23 June 2025
Noun
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The duo’s mantra of not playing for draws lends itself to their broader mindset of refusing to take a backwards step.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
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These actively reduce phantom power draw which is the energy consumed by electronics even when they are turned off.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Noun
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But the talks have been at an impasse, as competing proposals have created a rift between the three states in the river’s lower basin — California, Arizona and Nevada — and the four states in the river’s upper basin — Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
-
The jury of six men and six women declared themselves at an impasse after multiple days of deliberation, unable to reach a unanimous verdict on all three charges.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Growing up, my family would occasionally pile into the car and drive to distant locations for very brief vacations.—
Jason Foodman,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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But far from being from a distant cosmic source, researchers determined that the fast radio burst (FRB) actually came from the 60's satellite in Earth orbit.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Verb
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The Mercury managed to hold off Breanna Stewart’s 35-point performance by winning the fourth quarter, 25-16, and eventually win the game 89-81 at Barclays Center on Thursday night.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
20 June 2025
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That means New York could pick it up and hold off on waiving him until October if no trade opportunity emerges.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stand off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stand%20off. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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