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
Funding standoffs are becoming increasingly common, and the government has been operating for a while on short-term bills to keep things running at current levels.
—
Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
If senators were required to speak continuously to sustain a filibuster, many standoffs would collapse far more quickly.
—Jeremy Dalrymple, Oc Register, 2 Dec. 2025
That includes countries that Canada had, until recently, faced diplomatic standoffs with.
—David Moscrop, Time, 30 Nov. 2025
In the past, pay-TV distributors took public flak during brief standoffs.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Protesters gathered hours before the event, with some seen in standoffs with lines of police.
—Matthew Rehbein, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025
Beginning October 1, 2025, the current shutdown has stretched into its 41st day, surpassing previous records and drawing comparisons to earlier political standoffs.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
One of the more memorable in-person music standoffs featured hip-hop collectives The LOX and Dipset at Madison Square Garden in August 2021.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
These factions do not hold stable territory, but their sporadic resistance — from raids to armed standoffs — signals the first cracks in Hamas’s grip.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
If senators were required to speak continuously to sustain a filibuster, many standoffs would collapse far more quickly.
—Jeremy Dalrymple, Oc Register, 2 Dec. 2025
That includes countries that Canada had, until recently, faced diplomatic standoffs with.
—David Moscrop, Time, 30 Nov. 2025
In the past, pay-TV distributors took public flak during brief standoffs.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Protesters gathered hours before the event, with some seen in standoffs with lines of police.
—Matthew Rehbein, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025
Beginning October 1, 2025, the current shutdown has stretched into its 41st day, surpassing previous records and drawing comparisons to earlier political standoffs.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
One of the more memorable in-person music standoffs featured hip-hop collectives The LOX and Dipset at Madison Square Garden in August 2021.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
These factions do not hold stable territory, but their sporadic resistance — from raids to armed standoffs — signals the first cracks in Hamas’s grip.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standoffs
Noun
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The meeting comes as Tokyo seeks to rein in a deepening diplomatic and trade rift with China while strengthening ties with allies to counter Beijing’s attempts to isolate Japan.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Calvo's second executive order creates a task force to review business licenses in the city that may have ties to Cuba's government, with the potential for licenses to be revoked.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Conflict in Yemen has prompted air traffic halts — leaving about 600 tourists stranded on a remote island.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The fact that any soliloquy halts dramatic action also poses a challenge.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
15 Dec. 2025
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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Some of the money is frozen due to budgetary or legal impasses.—
Caio Delcolli,
IndieWire,
26 Nov. 2025
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Such impasses typically end when one party decides the political costs of keeping the government closed outweigh the concessions of opening it.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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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
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The stalemates were the latest in the finger-pointing between Democrats and Republicans over who was responsible for the prolonged shutdown.—
Lawrence Andrea,
jsonline.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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To avoid the logistical logjams that had been predicted, the rollout is being staggered.—
Julia Buckley,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
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The city has also removed 50 logjams from the Rouge River, Hammoud said.—
Niraj Warikoo,
Freep.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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More than 200 producers sell seasonal fruit and vegetables, breads and cheeses of every kind, charcuterie, olives and tapenades, quiches, jams, and honey—and that's just the food section.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Jan. 2026
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The album’s maximalist approach, combining an array of live instruments, VSTs, and samplers, sometimes coheres into true jams.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Standoffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standoffs. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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