standoff

or stand-off

[ stand-awf, -of ]

noun

1. a standing off or apart; aloofness.
2. a tie or draw, as in a game.
3. something that counterbalances.
4. a prop for holding the top of a ladder away from the vertical surface against which it is leaning.
5. Electricity. an insulator that supports a conductor above a surface.

adjective

1. standing off or apart; aloof; reserved:

   an uncordial and standoff manner.

standoff

/ ˈstændˌɒf /

noun

1. the act or an instance of standing off or apart
2. a deadlock or stalemate
3. any situation or disposition of forces that counterbalances or neutralizes
4. rugby short for stand-off half

verb

1. intr to navigate a vessel so as to avoid the shore, an obstruction, etc
2. tr to keep or cause to keep at a distance
3. intr to reach a deadlock or stalemate
4. tr to dismiss (workers), esp temporarily

Word History and Origins

Origin of standoff¹

First recorded in 1830–40; noun, adj. use of verb phrase stand off

Example Sentences

He added the town's response to the standoff had been mixed.

From BBC

Sarah Binder, a political scientist at the Brookings Institution, told Sargent that the Senate could push back and quickly call itself back into session and force a standoff with the new administration.

From Salon

Is he planning on an armed standoff with state police?

From Salon

An hours-long standoff ensued before the man was taken into custody on suspicion of trespassing, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

More volatile than anything else, Schickler said, could be the standoff over immigration.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• deadlock
• impasse
• stalemate

More About Standoff

What does standoff mean?

A standoff is a situation in which no progress can be made or people are prevented from taking further action. Close synonyms are stalemate and deadlock.

Such a standoff often involves two or more opposing sides that refuse to budge, back down, or change their position. A political standoff is one in which both sides refuse to come to an agreement or compromise on some policy or course of action. In the context of policing, the word standoff refers to a situation in which a person refuses to be arrested but is keeping police away by threatening violence.

In movies, the tense moment when two characters are pointing weapons at each other and waiting for the other to make a move is often called a standoff.

Standoff can also refer to what happens when a game or other competition ends in a tie or without a winner being declared.

Much less commonly, standoff can be used as an adjective to mean aloof, reserved, or unfriendly, as in The hostess greeted us in a distant, standoff manner. The adjective standoffish is more commonly used to mean the same thing.

Standoff is sometimes hyphenated, as stand-off.

Example: The old enemies stared at each other in a tense standoff, both of them refusing to give an inch.

Where does standoff come from?

The first records of the term standoff come from the 1830s. It comes from the verb phrase stand off, which means to maintain a distance or to reach a stalemate.

The word standoff is often used in the context of tense or seemingly hopeless situations in which two opposing sides are not willing to negotiate or change their positions even a little. It’s especially used in the contexts of politics and policing.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to standoff?

• stand-off (alternate, hyphenated spelling)

What are some synonyms for standoff?

• deadlock
• stalemate
• impasse
• standoffish (when standoff is used as an adjective)

What are some words that share a root or word element with standoff? 

• stand
• off

What are some words that often get used in discussing standoff?

• tense
• confrontation
• fight
• negotiation
• argument
• draw
• tie
• game
• competition

How is standoff used in real life?

Standoff is especially used in the contexts of politics and policing.

I just found out after a 10 month standoff, my mom finally agreed to call my baby nephew by his name. She thought his name was stupid and had a one person protest to change it.

— Solomon Georgio (@solomongeorgio) October 16, 2020

I accidentally scared my niece with a roomba earlier and she has now decided to have a standoff with it for 5 mins

— Evvy 🎈🎈🎈 (@Evvobevvo) November 12, 2020

The legendary standoff that shook the multiverse! 😎 pic.twitter.com/K8vtSLrQuJ

— HololiveEnMemes (@HololiveMemes) November 27, 2020

 

 

Try using standoff!

Is standoff used correctly in the following sentence?

It was a close match, and it ended in a standoff, with neither side being able to secure victory.