1
a
: a predicament affording no obvious escape
an impossible impasse in which accepting a pardon meant admitting guilt
b
: deadlock
Negotiations are at an impasse.
2
: an impassable road or way : cul-de-sac
Examples of impasse in a Sentence
The players are poised to strike after Thursday's games because they believe, with good reason, that if no agreement is reached by the end of the post-season, the owners will declare an impasse …
—
Murray Chass, New York Times, 9 Aug. 1994
We seem to have been forced into an impasse. We need to understand why space-time singularities have the structures that they appear to have; but space-time singularities are regions where our understanding of physics has reached its limits.
—Roger Penrose, The Emperor's New Mind, 1989
I think the civil rights movement in its early and middle years offered the best way out of America's racial impasse: in this society, race must not be a source of advantage or disadvantage for anyone.
—Shelby Steele, Harper's, June 1988
An arbitrator was called in to break the impasse.
She had reached an impasse in her career.
Murray Chass, New York Times, 9 Aug. 1994
We seem to have been forced into an impasse. We need to understand why space-time singularities have the structures that they appear to have; but space-time singularities are regions where our understanding of physics has reached its limits.
—Roger Penrose, The Emperor's New Mind, 1989
I think the civil rights movement in its early and middle years offered the best way out of America's racial impasse: in this society, race must not be a source of advantage or disadvantage for anyone.
—Shelby Steele, Harper's, June 1988
An arbitrator was called in to break the impasse.
She had reached an impasse in her career.
Recent Examples on the Web
As lawmakers and the White House look to break the impasse, here are five things to know about the shutdown.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 14 Feb. 2026
Though the impasse has revolved around immigration enforcement, the shutdown will impact other agencies under DHS' umbrella, including the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
The Department of Homeland Security is about to shut down after a political impasse in Congress over immigration enforcement.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Currently, if contract talks hit an impasse, the five county supervisors can, after a complex mediation process, impose a final offer.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impasse
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Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 14 Feb. 2026
Though the impasse has revolved around immigration enforcement, the shutdown will impact other agencies under DHS' umbrella, including the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
The Department of Homeland Security is about to shut down after a political impasse in Congress over immigration enforcement.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Currently, if contract talks hit an impasse, the five county supervisors can, after a complex mediation process, impose a final offer.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impasse
Cite this Entry
“Impasse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impasse. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
impasse
noun
im·passe
ˈim-ˌpas, im-ˈpas 
: a point in especially labor negotiations at which reaching an agreement is impossible because neither party is willing to compromise or change position
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