as in halt
a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in
the jury sent a note to the judge that it was hopelessly stuck in a deadlock
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Recent Examples of deadlock
Now in its fourth week, the impasse has left the Department of Homeland Security operating without a budget due to a congressional deadlock between Democrats and Republicans.
—
Chase Jordan
march 9, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026
The Avalanche finally broke the scoreless deadlock late in the second when Minnesota turned over the puck behind its own net and Nazem Kadri – acquired at the trade deadline from Calgary – fed a pass to MacKinnon.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Anthropic, according to a story in The Atlantic, was particularly concerned about the Pentagon using its technology for this kind of analysis and that its insistence on curtailing that use case was one of the major stumbling blocks to breaking its deadlock with the DOW.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
After a couple of months of deadlock with Board votes reaching a 3-3 tie in Salem’s absence, the Board in January finally broke that deadlock and gave preliminary approval to close Kingsley Elementary School.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deadlock
Chase Jordan
march 9, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026
The Avalanche finally broke the scoreless deadlock late in the second when Minnesota turned over the puck behind its own net and Nazem Kadri – acquired at the trade deadline from Calgary – fed a pass to MacKinnon.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Anthropic, according to a story in The Atlantic, was particularly concerned about the Pentagon using its technology for this kind of analysis and that its insistence on curtailing that use case was one of the major stumbling blocks to breaking its deadlock with the DOW.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
After a couple of months of deadlock with Board votes reaching a 3-3 tie in Salem’s absence, the Board in January finally broke that deadlock and gave preliminary approval to close Kingsley Elementary School.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deadlock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadlock
Noun
-
In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, initiate your hazard lights and locate a secure spot, such as a nearby business parking area, to pull over and come to a halt.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
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About 20% of the world’s oil supply travels through the narrow strait, and the recent halt in shipping impacts the wider economy, raising expectations of higher inflation.—
Alison Saldanha,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate find themselves at a familiar impasse, bitterly divided over which approach to take.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
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The collapse of the deal leaves Congress, now on a two-week spring break, with no easy way out of the impasse that has put the Homeland Security Department into a shutdown since mid-February.—
Stephen Groves,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Some cautioned that Ukraine isn't winning either - but with the help of drones, has managed to draw Russia into a stalemate.—
Holly Williams,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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The land that Ukraine still holds in Donetsk is at the center of a stalemate in negotiations after Kyiv refused to give it up in exchange for peace.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deadlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadlock. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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