1
as in ties
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 halts
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of standoffs
Protests and standoffs with immigration officers were common, particularly in the city's heavily Mexican Little Village neighborhood where Espinoza Martinez lived.
—
CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
The building has served as the backdrop of tense standoffs between agents and protesters following the death of Minneapolis resident Renee Good earlier this month.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
Videos have shown tense standoffs between demonstrators and immigration agents.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
The cars have been caught driving on the wrong side of the road, getting stuck in roundabouts, blowing through police standoffs, and ignoring stopped school buses.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 14 Jan. 2026
Funding standoffs are becoming increasingly common, and the government has been operating for a while on short-term bills to keep things running at current levels.
—Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
If senators were required to speak continuously to sustain a filibuster, many standoffs would collapse far more quickly.
—Jeremy Dalrymple, Oc Register, 2 Dec. 2025
That includes countries that Canada had, until recently, faced diplomatic standoffs with.
—David Moscrop, Time, 30 Nov. 2025
In the past, pay-TV distributors took public flak during brief standoffs.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 13 Nov. 2025
CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
The building has served as the backdrop of tense standoffs between agents and protesters following the death of Minneapolis resident Renee Good earlier this month.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
Videos have shown tense standoffs between demonstrators and immigration agents.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
The cars have been caught driving on the wrong side of the road, getting stuck in roundabouts, blowing through police standoffs, and ignoring stopped school buses.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 14 Jan. 2026
Funding standoffs are becoming increasingly common, and the government has been operating for a while on short-term bills to keep things running at current levels.
—Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
If senators were required to speak continuously to sustain a filibuster, many standoffs would collapse far more quickly.
—Jeremy Dalrymple, Oc Register, 2 Dec. 2025
That includes countries that Canada had, until recently, faced diplomatic standoffs with.
—David Moscrop, Time, 30 Nov. 2025
In the past, pay-TV distributors took public flak during brief standoffs.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standoffs
Noun
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Mack Brown, the coach at North Carolina, thought Drake might come there, given his family ties.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Trump cut federal ties with the firm before Karp cut a deal with the White House, restoring the relationship.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The abrupt disruption resulted in chip shortages and production halts at several automakers.—
Sarah Jacob,
Bloomberg,
14 Jan. 2026
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Conflict in Yemen has prompted air traffic halts — leaving about 600 tourists stranded on a remote island.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
Noun
-
Some of the money is frozen due to budgetary or legal impasses.—
Caio Delcolli,
IndieWire,
26 Nov. 2025
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Such impasses typically end when one party decides the political costs of keeping the government closed outweigh the concessions of opening it.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Another reason is that the federal government is now viewed by many as so routinely dysfunctional that budget stalemates are seen as just one more example of a broader breakdown.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
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Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 prompted unified Western sanctions, massive military aid, and rhetorical solidarity, but by late 2025, strategic divergences had widened amid battlefield stalemates, economic fatigue, and diplomatic initiatives.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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To avoid the logistical logjams that had been predicted, the rollout is being staggered.—
Julia Buckley,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
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The city has also removed 50 logjams from the Rouge River, Hammoud said.—
Niraj Warikoo,
Freep.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Johnson has only nine jams per NBA shot tracking data, while Richardson has only four dunks this season.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
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Enjoy them raw in salads, smoothies, and juices, or up the beta carotene availability by cooking them into homemade jams, baked goods, sauces, marinades, or stews.—
Christina Manian,
Health,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Standoffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standoffs. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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