as in halts
a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in
the jury sent a note to the judge that it was hopelessly stuck in a deadlock
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Recent Examples of deadlocks
Having killed Downey, Amos cuts one of his deadlocks and puts it in Axel’s little red book.
—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
3 Dec. 2025
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
Twice in recent years, the board spent months facing regular partisan deadlocks — first after Nathan Fletcher resigned in 2023 and again after Nora Vargas left office early this year.
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Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Oct. 2025
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
3 Dec. 2025
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
Twice in recent years, the board spent months facing regular partisan deadlocks — first after Nathan Fletcher resigned in 2023 and again after Nora Vargas left office early this year.
—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadlocks
Noun
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The automatic stay halts proceedings but doesn't compel creditors to undo pre-petition filings without operative effect.
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Since prolonged production halts can cause permanent damage to oil wells, shutting them down is typically a last resort.
Noun
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The second chapter intertwines misfortune and impasses.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Deadlocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadlocks. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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