as in halt
a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in
the jury sent a note to the judge that it was hopelessly stuck in a deadlock
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Recent Examples of deadlock
Verhaeghe scored in the first period and assisted Sam Reinhart’s goal in the second that broke the deadlock and put the Panthers ahead 2-1.
—
Cameron Priester, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2025
It’s cleverly done, with the audience treated to a young Ollie Rathbone weaving in and out of an opposition defence to score with a thumping finish in junior football just moments before being shown doing exactly the same to break the deadlock after 15 minutes.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 27 June 2025
Giving more countries a veto might result in nothing but more deadlock.
—Amanda Chicago Lewis, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
Ukraine has offered an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin to break the deadlock.
—Arkansas Online, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadlock
Cameron Priester, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2025
It’s cleverly done, with the audience treated to a young Ollie Rathbone weaving in and out of an opposition defence to score with a thumping finish in junior football just moments before being shown doing exactly the same to break the deadlock after 15 minutes.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 27 June 2025
Giving more countries a veto might result in nothing but more deadlock.
—Amanda Chicago Lewis, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
Ukraine has offered an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin to break the deadlock.
—Arkansas Online, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadlock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadlock
Noun
-
About three-quarters of the way through the video, the song screeches to a halt, as the video shows four men listening to a boombox.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
5 July 2025
-
On the conflict in Ukraine, Ushakov said Trump emphasized his push for a quick halt to the fighting, and Putin voiced Moscow’s readiness to pursue talks with Kyiv, noting the previous rounds in Turkey yielded humanitarian results.—
Vladimir Isachenkov,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
The impasse between the two economic superpowers — whose trade relationship totaled nearly $600 billion in 2024 — is weighing on Trump’s broader tariff regime, which is already having a real-world impact.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
5 June 2025
-
Turner spent a decade in Indiana, but the NBA's two-time blocks leader seemed to be at an impasse with his state of affairs in Indianapolis.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
The tiny Finnish Army—utilizing soldiers on skis and bikes—held the Russians to a three-month stalemate.—
Patrick Sauer,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 June 2025
-
Then the game froze up, with the teams playing at a stalemate going into the third period.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deadlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadlock. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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