impasse

American  

[im-pas, im-pas] / ˈɪm pæs, ɪmˈpæs /

noun

1. a position or situation from which there is no escape; deadlock.

   Synonyms:

   dead end, standoff, standstill, stalemate

2. a road or way that has no outlet; cul-de-sac.

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impasse British  

/ ˈæmpɑːs, ɪmˈpɑːs, æmˈpɑːs, ˈɪmpɑːs /

noun

1. a situation in which progress is blocked; an insurmountable difficulty; stalemate; deadlock

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Etymology

Origin of impasse

1850–55; < French, equivalent to im- im- ² + -passe, stem of passer to pass

Example Sentences

After more than five weeks of working without pay due to a funding impasse, most TSA employees received two, full retroactive paychecks on Monday, according to union officials and a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman.

From The Wall Street Journal

TSA agents, who manage US airport security, have not been paid in more than a month due to the impasse.

From BBC

A congressional funding impasse caused thousands of TSA employees to go unpaid, prompting record call-outs and resignations.

From The Wall Street Journal

"If this were merely a contracting impasse, DoW would presumably have just stopped using Claude," Judge Lin wrote, referencing the Department of War, a secondary name for the Department of Defense.

From BBC

"I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country," Musk posted on X.

From Barron's

Related Words

• deadlock
• dilemma
• gridlock
• predicament
• standoff
• standstill