1
as in tie
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 halt
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
as in detached
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others
the client's standoff attitude suggested that this was going to be a strictly business relationship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of standoff
Omar Kelly
march 16, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
The incident began unfolding on Saturday evening when the New Haven Police Department asked the public to avoid the area of Edgewood Avenue and Pendleton Street in connection with a standoff.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026
Benjamin Royer, Daily News, 1 Nov. 2025
Maybe we’re supposed to believe that that promise is what compels Lee to stand off against Frank at One Well when a smart man would be running out the door.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for standoff
Noun
This could force a standoff with Achane and his camp, which might carry over to the exhibition season with a hold-in.
—Omar Kelly
march 16, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
The incident began unfolding on Saturday evening when the New Haven Police Department asked the public to avoid the area of Edgewood Avenue and Pendleton Street in connection with a standoff.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
At Big Ten Media Day in Chicago, Leger-Walker often stood off to the side, creating TikTok videos and social media content of Rice and senior center Lauren Betts.
—Benjamin Royer, Daily News, 1 Nov. 2025
Maybe we’re supposed to believe that that promise is what compels Lee to stand off against Frank at One Well when a smart man would be running out the door.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for standoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standoff
Noun
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Norris had long‑standing ties to North Texas after years of living and filming there.—
Marissa Armas,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
While born and raised in Oklahoma, Norris had several ties to Fort Worth and North Texas.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The strait remains virtually closed as violence in the region escalates, bringing shipping traffic to a near-halt.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Taylor Frankie Paul‘s turn as the star of The Bachelorette has come to a screeching halt after ABC opted to shelve the premiere.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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By one estimate, fewer than a quarter of the residential areas in many cities allow anything other than detached single-family homes.—
M. Nolan Gray,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
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But also, the way that the hospice nurses are so compassionate and calm and present, but at the same time detached.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The community has been divided over whether or not to turn back on the cameras.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Zelenskyy was asked to return the statue once his country had turned back the ongoing Russian invasion.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, March 15, 2026.—
USA Today staff,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
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Despite playing a man down from the 56th minute, the hosts were the better team in the 0-0 draw and Lyon now lags two points behind third-place Marseille in the Ligue 1 standings.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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One officer in Nashville and his wife have suffered health issues since the fall impasse because of the stress.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
14 Mar. 2026
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Washington — The Senate failed again on Thursday to advance a measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security, with the impasse growing increasingly acrimonious nearly a month into the partial shutdown.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This property is crucial for generating quantum entanglement between distant nodes, another cornerstone of future quantum communication networks, as per the release.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Mar. 2026
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His short responses feel distant, and his hesitation comes across as disinterest.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Netanyahu said Trump has asked Israel to hold off on future attacks.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
20 Mar. 2026
-
In a press conference Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation targeting a production facility of Iran’s South Pars gas field was carried out solely by Israel, without direct US involvement, and that Trump has asked Israel to hold off on further strikes of that kind.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Standoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standoff. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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