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
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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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of standoffs
The recent hunger strike has been met with tense standoffs between demonstrators and federal agents.
—
Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 28 May 2026
The size of the College Football Playoff seems to be the most digestible of the thus-far intractable standoffs, but still, there’s no resolution on the horizon.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
But maritime standoffs and stop-and-go negotiations will likely drag on, Su added.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 13 May 2026
The company is set to develop a fictional universe inspired by the negotiator’s vast experience in mediating high-pressure situations such as nuclear standoffs, labor disputes and peace talks across four continents.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
But the government, Paul says, will keep facing fiscal standoffs.
—Robert Costa, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
In the lawsuit, DirecTV also warned of what will happen in the event of a blackout of channels, the result of contractural standoffs between major media companies and multichannel distributors.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Similarly, a proposal led by House Transportation Chair Sam Graves, R-Missouri, would allow the FAA to access a wartime emergency fund during budget standoffs to keep critical aviation operations running smoothly.
—Jackson Shedelbower, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026
Gritz attempted to act as a mediator in other standoffs later in the decade but did not find the same success.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026
Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 28 May 2026
The size of the College Football Playoff seems to be the most digestible of the thus-far intractable standoffs, but still, there’s no resolution on the horizon.
—ABC News, 18 May 2026
But maritime standoffs and stop-and-go negotiations will likely drag on, Su added.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 13 May 2026
The company is set to develop a fictional universe inspired by the negotiator’s vast experience in mediating high-pressure situations such as nuclear standoffs, labor disputes and peace talks across four continents.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
But the government, Paul says, will keep facing fiscal standoffs.
—Robert Costa, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
In the lawsuit, DirecTV also warned of what will happen in the event of a blackout of channels, the result of contractural standoffs between major media companies and multichannel distributors.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Similarly, a proposal led by House Transportation Chair Sam Graves, R-Missouri, would allow the FAA to access a wartime emergency fund during budget standoffs to keep critical aviation operations running smoothly.
—Jackson Shedelbower, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026
Gritz attempted to act as a mediator in other standoffs later in the decade but did not find the same success.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standoffs
Noun
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The visit is a chance for Xi to push for a rebalancing of these ties and to signal the importance of the relationship to Beijing at a moment of global flux.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
-
Nvidia is looking to deepen its ties with South Korea as tech supply chains come into focus given the Iran war, and as the company faces rising regulatory hurdles in selling to the mainland Chinese market.—
Justina Lee,Lisa Kim,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
In practice the printer ran for about 3 months (including setup and halts), whereas a traditional cast bridge might have taken 3–4 times longer.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
-
Former leaders warn that the loss of institutional knowledge, combined with halts to the incoming pipeline of public health workers, may lead to a long-term crisis.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Having killed Downey, Amos cuts one of his deadlocks and puts it in Axel’s little red book.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
3 Dec. 2025
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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for reform of the Security Council's permanent members in his annual statement on the anniversary of the United Nations charter, arguing that the current establishment excludes key global voices and suffers from too many deadlocks.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Senate unanimously approved a resolution to withhold lawmakers’ pay during government shutdowns, aiming to encourage faster resolution of federal budget impasses after record-breaking closures.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
While controllers may not be caught in the latest political game of chicken, proactively protecting these federal employees from paycheck lapses would prevent additional airport chaos during future funding impasses.—
Jackson Shedelbower,
Oc Register,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Another reason is that the federal government is now viewed by many as so routinely dysfunctional that budget stalemates are seen as just one more example of a broader breakdown.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
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Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 prompted unified Western sanctions, massive military aid, and rhetorical solidarity, but by late 2025, strategic divergences had widened amid battlefield stalemates, economic fatigue, and diplomatic initiatives.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Second, the Red Sox could streamline their roster and finally clear out the logjams that have gummed up the works for the past two years.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
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The logjams created by shoppers who crowd sample stations four and five people deep is next-level rage bait in online Costco forums.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Breakfast included, with lots of homemade jams and pastries.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Seyfrid also makes his own Bavarian-style mustards and jams.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Standoffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standoffs. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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