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
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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
-
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
-
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
-
The report calls for the destruction of all enrichment sites, the removal or seizure of enriched uranium, the dismantling of advanced centrifuges, and a permanent halt to weaponization efforts.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2025
-
All of this has affected how companies are handling Pride this month, causing a deafening halt compared to previous years.—
Brett F. Braley-Palko,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Managing national security affairs is not a detached experiment.—
Arthur House,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2025
Verb
-
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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On Sunday, two supertankers—each carrying up to 2 million barrels—turned back in the Strait of Hormuz after U.S. airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites raised fears of commercial shipping being targeted, Bloomberg reported.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
Island Pier is uniquely positioned to benefit from a similar ecotourism draw.—
Joe Sills,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Meslier’s errors in the March 29 draw with Swansea City proved to be the final straw for the manager, but the Frenchman is understood to have held his hands up post-match.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
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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The Iranian regime’s nuclear ambitions are not some distant diplomatic dispute.—
Laurence Milstein,
Sun Sentinel,
24 June 2025
Verb
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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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Stand off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stand%20off. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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