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
Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025
The international community watches closely to see if negotiations can bridge the gap or if the standoff will spiral toward a new regional crisis.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Emily Harnett, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Kratos and his son Atreus traverse the nine realms, dig up old traumas, and stand off against a whole bestiary’s worth of gargantuan, flesh-eating monsters.
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for standoff
Noun
In March 2025, a man experiencing a mental health crisis was arrested outside CIA headquarters after an hours-long barricade standoff event.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025
The international community watches closely to see if negotiations can bridge the gap or if the standoff will spiral toward a new regional crisis.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Verb
Carlo’s shrine stood off to the side, the reliquary protected behind a screen.
—Emily Harnett, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Kratos and his son Atreus traverse the nine realms, dig up old traumas, and stand off against a whole bestiary’s worth of gargantuan, flesh-eating monsters.
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for standoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standoff
Noun
-
The full moon in Sagittarius on June 11 is your cue to cut ties with outdated beliefs and reach toward something more aligned.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 June 2025
-
Adjust ties on trees and shrubs to prevent girdling of stems.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 May 2025
Noun
-
That was after the pandemic lockdown brought concerts — and much of the world — shuddering to a halt in 2020 and much of 2021 (and before the COVID resurgence that followed).—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2025
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Finding that the 1977 law Trump invoked to impose his sweeping tariffs does not actually give him the power to do so, the court ordered a permanent halt to the duties and barred any future modifications.—
Josephine Rozzelle,
CNBC,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
Investigators at the scene found the housing to a side view mirror, a front driver’s side bumper component and a detached front driver’s side wheel trim.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
19 May 2025
-
Cooking was done in a detached cookhouse, which also is open for viewing.—
Amy Bentley,
Oc Register,
7 May 2025
Verb
-
The two occupants of the jet ski stopped and started to turn back, but then sped away after apparently realizing Moore was injured.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 May 2025
-
Given that plastics are originally made as a by-product of fossil fuels, the idea that they can be turned back into fossil fuels shouldn’t be so surprising.—
Josiah Neeley,
Oc Register,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
Other golf meccas like Myrtle Beach (S.C), Hilton Head (S.C.), Phoenix/Scottsdale, and Palm Springs (Calif.) are unquestionably national draws for traveling golfers with a wealth of golf courses across a range of facilities.—
Erik Matuszewski,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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And the team controlled 17 of 24 draws courtesy of the trio of redshirt sophomore Kaleigh Harden (six draw controls), graduate student Sophie Student (five) and freshman Eliza Osburn (four).—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
That timeline is where the two rivals find themselves at an impasse.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2025
-
The California Department of Human Resources filed an unfair practice charge against the union, arguing that bargaining had not reached an impasse when those workers went on strike.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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The trick was to keep them distant and yet connected, and find ways to not make the audience wait to see their chemistry, because the John Corbett and Sarah Jessica Parker chemistry is undeniable and a gift.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
29 May 2025
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Within 23 hours, the signals will be as far from Earth as NASA’s Voyager 1, the world’s most distant spacecraft at more than 15 billion miles in interstellar space.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
Verb
-
Chris Que, a regional director at a home appliances factory in the southern city of Guangzhou, says his company has held off selling to the U.S. market for now, due to concerns over volatility.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
27 May 2025
-
Those who traditionally hire in the summer may hold off this year.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Standoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standoff. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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