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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of standoff
Harsh V. Pant, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2024
The labor standoff — the first strike by Boeing machinists since an eight-week walkout in 2008 — was the latest setback in a volatile year for the aerospace giant.
—David Koenig, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2024
USA TODAY, 25 Sep. 2024
Being vulnerable with others may feel difficult as Venus stands off with Chiron.
—USA TODAY, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for standoff 
Noun
After a standoff between Indian and Chinese troops on the border in 2017, New Delhi moved to revive the Quad despite not showing much enthusiasm when the partnership was founded in 2007.
—Harsh V. Pant, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2024
The labor standoff — the first strike by Boeing machinists since an eight-week walkout in 2008 — was the latest setback in a volatile year for the aerospace giant.
—David Koenig, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
Tidy up loose finances while Mercury stands off with Neptune.
—USA TODAY, 25 Sep. 2024
Being vulnerable with others may feel difficult as Venus stands off with Chiron.
—USA TODAY, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for standoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standoff
Noun
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The alliance is led by a former senior Al Qaeda militant who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and has promised representative government and religious tolerance.Sarah el Deeb, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
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In 2016, al-Golani announced his Nusra Front rebel group would be renamed to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (Syria Conquest Front) and severed all ties with al-Qaida—highlighting his group was only focused on Syria and did not have any international goals like al-Qaida and ISIS.Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Conservative commentators suggested recently that tariff discussions with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had led to a halt in migrant caravans crossing the border.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
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The truce called for a 60-day halt in fighting, which aims to end more than a year of war between Hezbollah and Israel that’s part of a wider regional conflict sparked by the devastating Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.Natalie Meltzer and Sally Abou Aljoud, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Stanley received more than 90 reports worldwide over problems relating to the detached lids — 38 of those complaints were tied to burn injuries, with 11 of those requiring medical attention.Alexandra Banner, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
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The special drew sharp criticism; many felt LeBron came across as detached and unapproachable.Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In White House comments, President Joe Biden said the deal would allow his Middle East team to turn back to securing an elusive ceasefire deal in Gaza.Howard LaFranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Nov. 2024
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Kobayashi’s phone’s was last turned on at LAX on Nov. 11 at 4 p.m. and hasn’t been turned back on since.Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The map was shown during a broadcast of Friday's draw to show European countries that cannot play each other in matches to qualify for the tournament for geopolitical reasons—such as Ukraine against Belarus and Kosovo against either Bosnia and Herzegovina or Serbia.Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024
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The Kentucky Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 15 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In an update sent to families Dec. 6 CPS quantified the current impasse, estimating the four-year cost of meeting the union’s recent list of narrowed demands at $3.5 billion.Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 13 Dec. 2024
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Yoon’s party has been locked in an impasse with the liberal opposition over next year’s budget bill.Kim Tong-hyung, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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While data isn't available indicating how much this has changed over recent years, the tradition of downsizing into smaller homes designed with retirement in mind is becoming a distant, if not completely unlikely, prospect for America's aging boomer population.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
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Tom Kim finished a distant second on 19-under and Justin Thomas, who led by a shot heading into the final round but remains without a win in more than two years, was third on 18-under.Matias Grez, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The brokerage also pointed to uncertainty around the government’s fiscal support for households as a potential factor that might prompt the BOJ to hold off its rate increase.Lin Lin, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2024
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Salah used his strength to hold off a defender before executing a perfect outside-of-the-foot pass that curled perfectly into the path of his team-mate.Andy Jones, The Athletic, 15 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near standoff
Cite this Entry
“Standoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standoff. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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