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
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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
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Recent Examples of standoff
Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
Over the weekend Trump injected his demand for the voting bill as a condition for ending the funding standoff.
—Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2025
Maybe we’re supposed to believe that that promise is what compels Lee to stand off against Frank at One Well when a smart man would be running out the door.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for standoff
Noun
The Aquarion sale has had a long and tortured regulatory history, having been first proposed during a bitter, years-long standoff between the utility industry and former PURA Chairman Marissa Gillett.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
Over the weekend Trump injected his demand for the voting bill as a condition for ending the funding standoff.
—Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
Her daughter stood off to the side, crying, watching her brother and mother get attacked.
—Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2025
Maybe we’re supposed to believe that that promise is what compels Lee to stand off against Frank at One Well when a smart man would be running out the door.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for standoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standoff
Noun
-
De Moraes, who until recently was hailed as a hero by adversaries of the former president, has been under fire since January from both critics and allies of Bolsonaro over the justice’s ties to the bank, which have raised concerns over conflicts of interest.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
White tie first emerged in the earlier days of the Victorian Era (around 1840), ironically as a more minimalist counter to the more outré evening dress of the day.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
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About 20% of the world’s oil supply travels through the narrow strait, and the recent halt in shipping impacts the wider economy, raising expectations of higher inflation.—
Alison Saldanha,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
By one estimate, fewer than a quarter of the residential areas in many cities allow anything other than detached single-family homes.—
M. Nolan Gray,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
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But also, the way that the hospice nurses are so compassionate and calm and present, but at the same time detached.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bernhard’s barely contained incestuous desires (The Loser is only one of a suite of works about brother-sister love and hate, alongside Correction, The Lime Works, and Concrete) are the product of individual psychologies run amok and turned back on themselves, the offshoots of artistic monomania.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Al Otro Lado, HIAS and other groups who provided assistance to the asylum seekers who were turned back at the border argued this case is about much more than the narrow legal definition of a few words.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, March 22, 2026.—
USA Today staff,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
-
According to Choose Chicago, tourism generates roughly $20 billion for our city — and our architecture is a signature part of that draw.—
Jennifer N. Pritzker,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As leaders in both parties try to work out a deal to fund DHS, which includes 61,000 TSA employees who have been working without paychecks, there are few signs the impasse will break soon on Capitol Hill before a scheduled recess.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
22 Mar. 2026
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Let’s start with the DHS funding impasse.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The prospect of autonomy remains a distant and fading dream.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
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Since Iran’s first attacks on the Gulf, the atmosphere in Riyadh has remained calm, with the bombing on neighboring countries feeling like a distant phenomenon.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Chicago Animal Care and Control officials took the dogs to the city's animal shelter for evaluation, and has asked anyone planning to surrender any animals to the city to hold off, if possible, to reduce the demand on the shelter.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Haimes filed his ruling on Thursday, just hours after Poliakoff and legal counsel for the city filed a joint motion requesting that the judge hold off on a ruling because both parties had agreed to enter into settlement negotiations.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Standoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standoff. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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