Synonyms of standoffs

standoffs

noun

plural of standoff

1

as in ties

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

• ties
• draws
• stalemates
• dead heats
• deadlocks
• impasses
• seesaws
• photo finishes
• horse races
• toss-ups

2

as in halts

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

• halts
• deadlocks
• impasses
• stalemates
• logjams
• standstills
• jams
• gridlocks
• predicaments
• Mexican standoffs
• dilemmas
• holes
• problems
• bottlenecks
• plights
• pickles
• corners
• quandaries
• dead ends
• fixes
• binds
• quagmires
• pinches
• morasses
• difficulties
• spots

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of standoffs

Prosecutors failed after both standoffs to convict the Bundys, either Cliven Bundy following the Bunkerville episode or his sons after the Malheur standoff. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Throughout Operation Metro Surge, tear gas was used at several standoffs across the Twin Cities metro. — Frankie McLister, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026

As fans of the series know well by now, every episode of Outer Banks is packed to the gills with twists, turns, motorcycle chases, police standoffs, knife fights, high-stakes heists, and more. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 July 2026

Over the years, the gathering has featured contract standoffs, shots directed at the league, countless years of support for coaches and coordinators, stadium posturing and always a heavy dose of optimism before a serving of orange sherbet. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 27 July 2026

Additional confrontations and standoffs also occurred in Sikkim. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 July 2026

Introduced as part of a collaboration with the University of North Carolina’s School of the Arts and Center for Design Innovation, the robo-deputy is meant to stand-in for human cops during intense standoffs. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 8 July 2026

But in a world increasingly defined by diplomatic standoffs, territorial wars and trade disputes, the dollar has become a geopolitical tool. — Andreas Panosyan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

For now, a bipartisan housing bill and the renewal of a key spy program have become casualties of those standoffs, and their fate was in limbo as Senate Republicans left for the July 4 recess. — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 25 June 2026