1
as in halt
a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in
a new negotiator finally got both sides past the stalemate
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in tie
a situation in which neither participant in a contest, competition, or struggle comes out ahead of the other
after playing chess for 16 hours, we ended the game in a stalemate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stalemate
As the stalemate continued, the city filed a lawsuit against hotel ownership seeking $5 million in damages, ultimately leading to a settlement in November that cleared the way for the building’s demise.
—
Jake Goodrick, Sacramento Bee, 16 Mar. 2025
Some temporary stalemates are fully resolved over time—consider Germany, which reunified in 1990, four decades after its division.
—G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2025
Jokic’s 35 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists helped ensure a season split between the Nuggets and Thunder and a head-to-head stalemate between MVP candidates.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2025
Russian politics expert Peter Rutland told Newsweek that the war desperately needs third-party mediation to break the stalemate.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stalemate
Jake Goodrick, Sacramento Bee, 16 Mar. 2025
Some temporary stalemates are fully resolved over time—consider Germany, which reunified in 1990, four decades after its division.
—G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2025
Jokic’s 35 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists helped ensure a season split between the Nuggets and Thunder and a head-to-head stalemate between MVP candidates.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2025
Russian politics expert Peter Rutland told Newsweek that the war desperately needs third-party mediation to break the stalemate.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stalemate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stalemate
Noun
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In today’s interconnected world, a virus emerging in one corner of the globe can bring entire economies to a halt and overwhelm healthcare systems thousands of miles away.—
Robert B. Tucker,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Community backlash forced revisions to the flawed plan and brought the zoning rewrite to a halt.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The home run was the fifth of the season for Suárez, who broke a tie with the Yankees’ Aaron Judge for the major league lead.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2025
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There was a four-way tie for fourth place, with Rubio, Ramaswamy, Haley and Kennedy all receiving 3% support.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The impasse raises the likelihood that the debt ceiling will be dealt with separately as part of a deal with the Democrats on wildfire aid later this year.—
David Sivak,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
25 Mar. 2025
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Don't be surprised if Beijing and Washington use this impasse as a bargaining chip in tariff talks.—
Dan Primack,
Axios,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Van Nistelrooy’s first three games brought a defeat, a victory and a draw; his fourth, on December 14, was a visit to Newcastle, who were navel-gazing after a damaging 4-2 defeat at Brentford.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
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The last two times these clubs have matched up, the result has ended in a draw.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The race is nonpartisan, but the incoming supervisor will break the 2-2 deadlock between the two Democrats and the two Republicans on the current Board of Supervisors.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
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The ongoing deadlock raises the risk of direct conflict between the U.S. and Iran in an already unstable Middle East, where an American aircraft carrier strike group is leading a U.S. military operation against the Houthi militants in Yemen.—
Lee Habeeb,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stalemate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stalemate. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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