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
The toll of war feels all too real here on the ground in Lebanon, as the country’s leaders meet in Washington with their Israeli counterparts, and with the United States and Iran at a stalemate over their conflict.
—
Yasmin Vossoughian, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
Each country has blamed the other for the stalemate.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
The stalemate on the left has put the two leading GOP candidates atop of several polls.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Preservationists, the town and the property owner appear to have been at a stalemate since 2018, and walls are now covered in invasive vines, windows are broken out, gutters are dangling and paint has peeled off windowsills.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stalemate
Yasmin Vossoughian, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026
Each country has blamed the other for the stalemate.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
The stalemate on the left has put the two leading GOP candidates atop of several polls.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Preservationists, the town and the property owner appear to have been at a stalemate since 2018, and walls are now covered in invasive vines, windows are broken out, gutters are dangling and paint has peeled off windowsills.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stalemate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stalemate
Noun
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Detroit turned up the heat on defense while Orlando’s offense came to a complete halt.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
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Today, roughly half of the global ethylene and polyethylene supply is stranded, constrained, or directly affected by the halt to commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial transit point for 20% of the world’s crude.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly ordered the Israeli military to send an Iron Dome interceptor battery - and soldiers to operate it - to the UAE after a call with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a move that demonstrates just how far ties have come.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
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That tie didn’t last long as the Phillies responded with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 4-2 lead.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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That report goes to the school board, which then holds its own impasse hearing and makes a decision.—
Steven Walker,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
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Oil was again trading at over $100 a barrel Thursday as the impasse continued to disrupt shipping through the strait, a chokepoint for roughly a fifth of the world's crude oil and natural gas.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Real Madrid’s draw with Real Betis on Friday night and Barca’s win against Getafe widened the gap between the two to 11 points.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The club has not scored more than two in MLS play since a 3-3 draw against Dallas on March 14.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But ultimately the world's most important central bank still faces a political deadlock, said DealBook in The New York Times.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
26 Apr. 2026
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With a new, major contemporary art museum, Kanal-Pompidou, due to open in November; a coalition regional government that finally formed after 600 days of deadlock; and a competitive 6 percent VAT on art sales that went into effect at the end of 2025, the moment for that experimentation seems ripe.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stalemate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stalemate. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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