status quo

noun

-ˈkwō How to pronounce status quo (audio)
Definition of status quonext
as in normality
the state or fact of being the way things usually are civic leaders who are afraid to do anything that might change the town's status quo

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of status quo Despite the years of Sturm und Drang about pandemic origins, and the wholesale adoption of the lab-leak theory by the party that controls both Congress and the White House, a shaky status quo still persists in biosafety. — Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026 While having some regulation is better than the city’s status quo, Montalvo argued the city’s proposals don’t address resident concerns around water use, electricity use, zoning regulations and noise pollution. — Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026 But that document alone can’t obviate constitutional provisions a future government might invoke to return to an earlier status quo that’s more favorable to Moscow (and by extension Beijing), and adversarial to everyone else. — Ilan Berman, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 Any attempt to change the religious status quo of the site could be dangerous, according to Mazen Jabari, a Palestinian political consultant and researcher who traces his family’s history in Jerusalem’s Old City back 600 years and lives within view of Al Aqsa. — Gabe Joselow, NBC news, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for status quo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for status quo
normality
Noun
  • Sometimes there’s no need to look any further than normality.
    — TIME, Time, 26 June 2026
  • Oil prices fell to their lowest level since the US-Israel war with Iran, as growing signs of a tentative return to normality through the Strait of Hormuz soothed markets.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of normality

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statuses
status quo
statute
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Cite this Entry

“Status quo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/status%20quo. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on status quo

Nglish: Translation of status quo for Spanish Speakers

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