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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stand off
Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Protesters stand off against federal immigration agents Thursday near Camarillo, Calif.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 11 July 2025
Michael Schneider, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
Buildings in the area were evacuated during the standoff, and Fulbright said residents would be allowed back inside once the scene was clear.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stand off
Noun
But a toxic stand off between club and player took its toll.
—Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Protesters stand off against federal immigration agents Thursday near Camarillo, Calif.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 11 July 2025
Adjective
Kimmel is once again on the air throughout the country now that rebellious affiliate owners Nexstar and Sinclair have backed down and agreed to resume airing his ABC late-night show after a weeklong standoff.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
Buildings in the area were evacuated during the standoff, and Fulbright said residents would be allowed back inside once the scene was clear.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stand off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stand off
Noun
-
She was dressed in a heather-gray blouse with pleated draping and a black mock bow-tie.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Devin Lloyd easily stepped in front of a Mahomes pass and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown in what was a tie game.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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An Israeli government spokesperson said on Sunday that there was no ceasefire in place in Gaza, only a temporary halt in certain bombings, according to Reuters.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
5 Oct. 2025
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But watch for combat to come to a halt until these hostages are released.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Due to his austere and detached manner, he is known to immediately inspire awe in his patients.—
Ut Community Press,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The consensus narrative of institutional finance has become so detached from empirical reality that diagnosing the problem requires abandoning its vocabulary for the precision of mathematics.—
Benjamin D. Summers,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For the Taliban, the episode possibly carries the lesson that attempting to turn back time on a population that’s grown up with the internet is much harder than just flicking a switch.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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Beiersdorf brand Nivea is turning back time in a new partnership with beloved Y2K clothing brand Juicy Couture.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Kempes, for example, played particularly deep in a goalless draw with Brazil in the second group phase, perhaps having remembered the criticism from Di Stefano.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.—
Steven Martinez,
jsonline.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Typically such a deal would mean an equal group of Democrats and Republicans agreeing to break an impasse.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
7 Oct. 2025
-
An ally turns In his address Monday morning to explain his decision to resign, Lecornu blamed political parties' intransigence for the impasse France finds itself in.—
Charlotte Reed,
CNBC,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
New James Webb Space Telescope observations have shed light on a distant world with no sun.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
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Over the centuries, Muslim traders built mosques and schools in sedate Tamale, which was more inland and distant from the direct links of the transatlantic slave and colonial trade.—
Edna Bonhomme,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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If your Chinese fringe flower (Loropetalum) grew a lot since your last pruning, try to hold off until spring to do it again.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Cox asked the commissioners to hold off on bringing in Fort Worth animal control.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stand off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stand%20off. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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