standstill
noun
stand·still
ˈstan(d)-ˌstil 
: a state characterized by absence of motion or of progress : stop
brought traffic to a standstill
Examples of standstill in a Sentence
The accident brought traffic to a standstill.
battled each other to a standstill
Recent Examples on the Web
For more than an hour on Saturday, Maresca’s team did not allow Everton to fight them to a standstill and, helped greatly by the return of Romeo Lavia, passed forward quickly whenever a chance to do so presented itself.
—
Liam Twomey, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images 🎧 Goods from China face tariffs of 145%, bringing trade between the world's two largest economies to a standstill, NPR's Scott Horsley tells Up First.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 23 Apr. 2025
Officials first broke ground on the site in 2023, but the project fell to a standstill amid lasting COVID-19 pandemic delays and parties’ struggle to finalize a development plan as the size and scope of the project continued to change.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2025
These Chinese small businesses were brought to a standstill by Trump’s tariffs.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for standstill
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.
Liam Twomey, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images 🎧 Goods from China face tariffs of 145%, bringing trade between the world's two largest economies to a standstill, NPR's Scott Horsley tells Up First.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 23 Apr. 2025
Officials first broke ground on the site in 2023, but the project fell to a standstill amid lasting COVID-19 pandemic delays and parties’ struggle to finalize a development plan as the size and scope of the project continued to change.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2025
These Chinese small businesses were brought to a standstill by Trump’s tariffs.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for standstill
Cite this Entry
“Standstill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standstill. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
standstill
noun
stand·still
ˈstand-ˌstil
: a state characterized by absence of motion or of progress : arrest
cardiac standstill
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share