as in normality
the state or fact of being the way things usually are
civic leaders who are afraid to do anything that might change the town's status quo
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of status quo
Obviously, if the strait were to remain closed and this wartime status quo persisted into the summer, even greater economic pain would be felt across the planet.
—
Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
So that movement against Lebanon’s political status quo had quite a bit of momentum, but it was derailed.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Mamdani’s Wednesday announcement effectively restores the pre-Adams status quo, treating low-level traffic offenses committed by cyclists no different under the law than those committed by drivers.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Neither side wants to return to the prewar status quo.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for status quo
Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
So that movement against Lebanon’s political status quo had quite a bit of momentum, but it was derailed.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Mamdani’s Wednesday announcement effectively restores the pre-Adams status quo, treating low-level traffic offenses committed by cyclists no different under the law than those committed by drivers.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Neither side wants to return to the prewar status quo.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for status quo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for status quo
normality
Noun
-
Away from the track, Friedrich is a working police officer, adding an air of normality to an all-time great athlete.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2026
-
But after such an odd week to start F1’s on-track running in 2026, some normality will resume in two weeks at the first Bahrain test.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Status quo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/status%20quo. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
