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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of standoff
Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
But the standoff would stretch into Friday as the man, believed armed with a rifle, refused to leave.
—Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 17 Jan. 2025
Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Process your fears as Mercury stands off with Uranus.
—USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for standoff 
Noun
The movement's most famous standoff occurred in 1973 at Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge reservation, where AIM activists, including Peltier, clashed with federal authorities for 71 days.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
But the standoff would stretch into Friday as the man, believed armed with a rifle, refused to leave.
—Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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
Process your fears as Mercury stands off with Uranus.
—USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for standoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standoff
Noun
-
The ties between Moore and the Cowboys are obvious.—
Jon Machota,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
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Democrats also grilled Vought for his ties to Project 2025 and the powers of the executive branch as the panel weighed his nomination last week.—
Aris Folley,
The Hill,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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And when Trump caught wind that the Biden administration was moving quickly to auction off border wall materials, Texas put that to a halt.—
Sharyl Attkisson,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Jan. 2025
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Like so many Angelenos, Cheyenne Shannon’s routine came to a halt in the hours after the devastating Palisades Fire broke out on the morning of Jan. 7, followed by the Eaton Fire in Altadena.—
Pamela McClintock,
The Hollywood Reporter,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But the detached garage and a guest cottage were destroyed, as were all but three or four of the 20 or so houses on their block near the Altadena Golf Course.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2025
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Steps lead down to a heated swimming pool, and elsewhere on the property are fruit-bearing citrus trees, raised garden boxes and an original detached bomb shelter.—
Angela Serratore,
New York Times,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Since 2000, Minnesota has won nine-plus games in consecutive seasons exactly once — when the Tarvaris Jackson/Gus Frerotte tag team won 10 games in 2008, and Brett Favre turned back the clock in 2009.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
17 Jan. 2025
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This was when, fearing for their own daughter, Samir’s parents decided to turn back.—
Jazzmin Jiwa,
TIME,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The Yanks were arguably the biggest draw for players in Japan in previous years — despite their seemingly undesirable location on the East Coast for nearly every star from the Nippon Professional Baseball league.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
14 Jan. 2025
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Rotating food trucks and live music will continue to be the draw at Green Acres, which is a dog- and kid-friendly event.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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After reaching an impasse in contract extension negotiations over the summer (Butler possesses a $52.4 million player option for 2025-26), the relationship between Butler and Miami has soured mightily.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
14 Jan. 2025
-
After a long slide toward irrelevance, though, the show is on its last fishnet leg, leaving her at an impasse.—
Manohla Dargis,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Phillip raced around the exterior of the house, checking for embers and spraying distant hot spots with water, protecting what had become an island in the fire.—
Eli Saslow,
New York Times,
19 Jan. 2025
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Only the Colorado Rockies, a distant 20th at $129.9 million, have decided not to join in the spending.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
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After winning the Big Eight title and facing Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, the Buffaloes held off Notre Dame 10-9 when a controversial holding call negated a last-minute Raghib Ismail punt return for a touchdown.—
Scott Dochterman,
The Athletic,
15 Jan. 2025
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At the same time, the incoming Trump administration's policies, if enacted, are expected to be inflationary, prompting some economists to predict that the central bank may hold off on cutting rates at its January 29 meeting.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near standoff
Cite this Entry
“Standoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standoff. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
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