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
Relevance
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
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2025
Jonathan Russell, were deployed to a domestic dispute that led to an armed standoff involving 29-year-old Steven Righini, who shot an Aroostook deputy, according to a statement from MSP.
—Alexandra Koch, Fox News, 5 Feb. 2025
Daniel Popper, The Athletic, 27 July 2024
In the photo, the patriarch himself actually stands off from the center, next to his son, Barron Trump, 17-year-old Kai and four of his other grandchildren.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for standoff 
Noun
The streamer in the past has been criticized for not providing adequate royalties to artists, including a high profile standoff with Taylor Swift in 2014.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2025
Jonathan Russell, were deployed to a domestic dispute that led to an armed standoff involving 29-year-old Steven Righini, who shot an Aroostook deputy, according to a statement from MSP.
—Alexandra Koch, Fox News, 5 Feb. 2025
Verb
Slater came out of the facility and stood off to the side of the practice fields.
—Daniel Popper, The Athletic, 27 July 2024
In the photo, the patriarch himself actually stands off from the center, next to his son, Barron Trump, 17-year-old Kai and four of his other grandchildren.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for standoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standoff
Noun
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The game was on when Missouri held Texas A&M scoreless for more than five minutes to forge a 49-49 tie.—
Tom Murphy,
arkansasonline.com,
11 Feb. 2025
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Vancouver’s Thomas Gradin and Ivan Hlinka each score against Red Wings goalie Gilles Gilbert in the third period of a 4-4 tie at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena. 1988 — Wayne Gretzky gets his NHL-record ninth 100-point season.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Here are some of the most notable categories: Foreign policy Trump's foreign policy approach in his early days in office centered around tariff threats, shirking international agreements and bringing much foreign aid to a halt.—
Avery Lotz,
Axios,
11 Feb. 2025
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On Thursday, the Trump administration also ordered an immediate halt of the $5 billion program aimed at building more EV charging stations on highways.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The fire was reported about 12:30 p.m. Sunday in the 1800 block of Sims Avenue in St. Paul in a detached garage, said Jeremiah Melquist, assistant fire chief for the St. Paul Fire Department, who gave the following information about the fire.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
9 Feb. 2025
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Of course, there’s also the aforementioned detached garage for the avid car enthusiast.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Days later, on February 5, another group of 23 migrants was encountered re-entering Honduras from Guatemala after deciding to turn back from Mexico.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
10 Feb. 2025
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Celebrities like Hailey Bieber and wellness enthusiasts are getting routine NAD+ infusion therapy in an attempt to turn back the clock on aging.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
8 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Fort Worth Southwest can’t complete comeback, falls to Burkburnett The Fort Worth Southwest boys basketball team had a tough first-round draw having to face No. 17 Burkburnett.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Feb. 2025
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Meet the 2025 Kia K4 For those looking for an entry-level sedan, the base price is very attractive and the 10-year warranty a big draw.—
Kristin Shaw,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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In some cases, a lack of meaningful reconciliation can cause relationships to wither, leaving both parties at an impasse.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
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The tentative agreement marks a significant step forward in resolving the impasse that had threatened to disrupt essential public services provided by the Public Works Department.—
Julia Fomby,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Launched in 2023, Euclid is a wide-angle space telescope developed to learn more about the history and expansion of the universe by studying the redshift of distant galaxies.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
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The phenomenon allows scientists to sometimes see the light from distant galaxies that would otherwise be hidden.—
Greg Wehner,
Fox News,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Washington — Senate Republicans are moving forward with their own budget plan to fund President Trump's agenda despite a request from House Speaker Mike Johnson to hold off and let the lower chamber take the lead.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2025
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On the other side, Gardner-Johnson will try to hold off Taylor and the Chiefs’ offense, helping lead the defensive effort as a safety.—
Amanda Pirkowski,
Orlando Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near standoff
Cite this Entry
“Standoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standoff. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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