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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stand off
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2025
Information may come in to challenge your worldview when Mars stands off with Pluto.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
As soon as the Bucks did that with Lillard, attention quickly turned to the Bradley Beal and the Phoenix Suns, who've been mired in their own standoff for the past six months.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for stand off
Noun
Eckard and Anderson were then seen walking away from the podium and standing off to the side.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2025
Information may come in to challenge your worldview when Mars stands off with Pluto.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
My other wildlife standoff involved a much cuter animal, but potentially far more unpleasant.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
As soon as the Bucks did that with Lillard, attention quickly turned to the Bradley Beal and the Phoenix Suns, who've been mired in their own standoff for the past six months.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for stand off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stand off
Noun
-
Netanyahu told reporters Sunday that there was an opportunity to forge new diplomatic ties with additional unspecified countries.—
James Hider,
NPR,
7 July 2025
-
And in the spirit of Texas, it’s got a lot of features that proudly display its ties to the longhorn state.—
Karl Brauer,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Adjective
-
White Lake Township Chief of Police Daniel Keller said in a news release the homeowner was alerted through his video surveillance system that seven individuals had broken into his detached garage.—
Mike Stunson
July 10,
Kansas City Star,
10 July 2025
-
The house features five bedrooms and one bathrooms. 5. $2.1 million, single-family residence in the 6100 block of Contra Costa Road The sale of the detached house in the 6100 block of Contra Costa Road in Oakland has been finalized.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
But that wasn’t always the case, and this past week NESN turned back the clock and gave Red Sox fans a different kind of viewing experience.—
Mac Cerullo,
Hartford Courant,
7 July 2025
-
That timeline might be fitting since the Ducks turned back the clock with the hire of coach Joel Quenneville, who will be 67 when the puck drops on the season opener and won Stanley Cup titles in 2010, 2013 and 2015 with the Chicago Blackhawks.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
In his most recent outing, which came in November, Barrios fought Abel Ramos to a split draw to retain the belt.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
12 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
Adjective
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For mid-century home buyers, the costs of our suburban revolution were distant.—
Marina Bolotnikova,
Vox,
7 July 2025
-
Since his 1938 debut in Action Comics No. 1, one home for Superman has been America, even though he was born on a distant planet.—
Samantha Baskind,
Smithsonian Magazine,
3 July 2025
Verb
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The Chapel Hill, N.C. native and Duke grad held off Green and Boyd, both Epson Tour rookies, to take the title in Milford on Sunday.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
14 July 2025
-
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday that the EU would hold off on implementing retaliatory tariffs for now.—
JJ Kinahan,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stand off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stand%20off. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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