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 stand off
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2025
Information may come in to challenge your worldview when Mars stands off with Pluto.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
Delon Thornton, CNBC, 22 July 2025
An intense standoff transpired between protesters and armed federal immigration agents outside a Southern California cannabis farm on Thursday.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for stand off
Noun
Eckard and Anderson were then seen walking away from the podium and standing off to the side.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2025
Information may come in to challenge your worldview when Mars stands off with Pluto.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
In a move that could escalate the trade standoff further, President Donald Trump recently announced new tariffs of 35% on Canadian goods starting Aug. 1.
—Delon Thornton, CNBC, 22 July 2025
An intense standoff transpired between protesters and armed federal immigration agents outside a Southern California cannabis farm on Thursday.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for stand off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stand off
Noun
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The device also gets Samsung's customary seven years of update support, a tie with Google for the best in the industry.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
31 July 2025
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India Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on India this week, citing unfair trade practices and India's ties with Russia.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 July 2025
Noun
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For businesses, this means operations don’t come to a halt.—
Kwabena Osei-Sarpong,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
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The point is that in those cases, the players’ unions had the power to bring the whole sport to a halt.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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What about Davis, who has a lengthy injury history and underwent surgery to repair a detached retina this summer?—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
28 July 2025
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White Lake Township Chief of Police Daniel Keller said in a news release the homeowner was alerted through his video surveillance system that seven individuals had broken into his detached garage.—
Mike Stunson
July 10,
Kansas City Star,
10 July 2025
Verb
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The monthly number, which represents the percentage of people who are unemployed and looking for work is expected turn back up to 4.2% when the July jobs report is released on Friday, Aug. 1.—
Jim Sergent,
USA Today,
30 July 2025
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China is building out clean energy at a blistering pace, as the US takes a chainsaw to its wind and solar sectors and makes a hard turn back toward fossil fuels.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
29 July 2025
Noun
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The Ohio Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.—
Jordan Kellogg,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
24 July 2025
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The Tennessee Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.—
Nicole Young,
Nashville Tennessean,
24 July 2025
Noun
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Negotiations to secure a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas seem to have hit an impasse amid hopes from top mediators, including President Donald Trump’s Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, that a deal can be reached soon.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
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The 1,300-member Judicial Professional Employees Union, which represents probation officers, information technology analysts, assistant clerks, counselors and other support staff, announced an impasse July 2.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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The film is composed of three stories, all concerning the relationships between adult children, their somewhat distant parent or parents, and each other.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
31 July 2025
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Constructed in the form of a triptych, the movie tells three stories exploring relationships between adult children, their somewhat distant parent (or parents), and each other.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
31 July 2025
Verb
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Trustees held off on reaching a consensus on any specific changes to the code, and no date has been set on continuing the e-bike discussion.—
Jennifer Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
24 July 2025
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This would be welcome news to Fed Chair Jerome Powell, for example, who thus far has held off a cut to the base rate for fears about how the Oval Office’s policies may impact their goal of 2% inflation.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stand off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stand%20off. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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