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
Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 29 Apr. 2025
Full Story How Trump’s tariffs are snarling supply chains
Despite signs of a thaw earlier this week, Washington and Beijing are locked in a standoff on tariffs, and global supply chains are feeling the pressure.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2025
USA TODAY, 26 Dec. 2024
As the celebration unfolded in front of him, O’Connell stood off to the side by himself, smiling and shaking his head.
—Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 31 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for standoff
Noun
When the gun-toting men ended up in a three-way standoff, LaRoche spun to shot the thief, but not before the man put a bullet in McGee’s shoulder.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 29 Apr. 2025
Full Story How Trump’s tariffs are snarling supply chains
Despite signs of a thaw earlier this week, Washington and Beijing are locked in a standoff on tariffs, and global supply chains are feeling the pressure.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
Ponder their effect as Mercury stands off with Jupiter.
—USA TODAY, 26 Dec. 2024
As the celebration unfolded in front of him, O’Connell stood off to the side by himself, smiling and shaking his head.
—Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 31 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for standoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standoff
Noun
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That tie is now broken, and according to Billboard, SOS stands alone as the longest-charting top 10 album by a solo female artist in history, passing the Grammy-winning 21.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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But like the exhibition match against Dynamo, the tie would never be played.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Celtics outscored it 30-18 as the Magic’s offense ground to a halt.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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President Donald Trump has so far not homed in on North Korea talks, prioritizing a ceasefire in the Middle East, a deal to bring fighting in Ukraine to a halt, and a nuclear agreement with Iran.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Out back, there’s a sleek new pool and detached garage, primed for conversion.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
18 Apr. 2025
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The report further indicates that there was one dead rodent in the attached garage, and across the three detached garages, investigators encountered one live rodent, one dead rodent, one nest, and one building with gnaw marks.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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While a mattress can't turn back time, a better mattress can lead to a lot of things: better sleep!—
Nena Farrell,
Wired News,
26 Apr. 2025
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But for one night, Leonard turned back the clock and secured the win for his team at a time when their backs were against the wall.—
Mikai Bruce,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The enduring draw of karma The concept of karma is rooted in the worldview of many Asian religious traditions, like Hinduism and Buddhism, but it’s also become prevalent in other places, including nonreligious communities.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
1 May 2025
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Winners in Florida have 180 days from the draw date to claim prizes and are encouraged to sign their ticket, according to the Florida Lottery.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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If the impasse continues, Liverpool will have a big decision to make.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
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Tedford said that in order to break the impasse, Trump may need to either reduce tariffs on China or agree to Beijing’s request for lower-level talks with a specific administration representative.—
Alex Gangitano,
The Hill,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But for the church officials and the families at Holy Family Church, the pope was not a distant religious figure in a faraway country, but a daily presence.—
Bilal Shbeir,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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Or maybe one dreams of leaving a dying Earth to colonize Mars or other distant planets.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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According to The Game Business Newsletter, some major publishers deliberately held off on confirming their games for Q4 to avoid competing against GTA VI.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
2 May 2025
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Cal: Ohio State transfer Devin Brown is the front-runner based on experience, but the Golden Bears are another program that will hold off making a final call until camp.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Standoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standoff. Accessed 8 May. 2025.
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