stalemate

American  

[steyl-meyt] / ˈsteɪlˌmeɪt /

noun

1. Chess. a position of the pieces in which a player cannot move any piece except the king and cannot move the king without putting it in check.

2. any position or situation in which no action can be taken or progress made; deadlock.

   Talks between union and management resulted in a stalemate.

   Synonyms:

   standstill, standoff, impasse

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verb (used with object)

stalemated, stalemating

1. to subject to a stalemate.

2. to bring to a standstill.

verb (used without object)

stalemated, stalemating

1. to be or result in a stalemate or standoff.

   Negotiations stalemated when new salary demands were introduced.

stalemate British  

/ ˈsteɪlˌmeɪt /

noun

1. a chess position in which any of a player's possible moves would place his king in check: in this position the game ends in a draw

2. a situation in which two opposing forces find that further action is impossible or futile; deadlock

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verb

1. (tr) to subject to a stalemate

Other Word Forms

• unstalemated adjective

Etymology

Origin of stalemate

1755–65; late Middle English stale stalemate (whence Anglo-French estale ) (apparently special use of stale ¹ ) + mate ²

Example Sentences

As part of their preparations Japan face England on Tuesday in a friendly after beating Scotland 1-0, while the Three Lions played out a 1-1 stalemate against Uruguay on Friday.

From BBC

The stalemate was broken when the lead underwriter agreed to continuing covering the airline for a more modest increase in its premium, they said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Alongside diplomatic stalemate, allied groups linked to Iran have begun opening new fronts in the conflict.

From Salon

The stalemate has led to long delays at several airports, where authorities have warned travelers to arrive hours earlier than usual because of long security lines.

From Barron's

Two weeks in, it appears to be a stalemate.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• delay
• gridlock
• impasse
• standoff
• standstill