standstill

American  

[stand-stil] / ˈstændˌstɪl /

noun

1. a state of cessation of movement or action; halt; stop.

   The ball rolled to a standstill.

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standstill British  

/ ˈstændˌstɪl /

noun

1. a complete cessation of movement; stop; halt

   the car came to a standstill

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standstill Idioms  

1. see come to a halt (standstill).

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Etymology

Origin of standstill

First recorded in 1695–1705; noun use of verb phrase stand still

Example Sentences

Oil and gas shipments through the a crucial waterway for global energy have largely come to a standstill, pushing up prices of oil and gas.

From BBC

Iran was already suffering economically before the war, but the conflict has sparked even higher inflation and brought many industries to a standstill.

From Barron's

Instead, the two sides reached a cooperation agreement, under which Elliott agreed to customary standstill and voting provisions, Norwegian said.

From The Wall Street Journal

And smog isn’t gone, not by a long shot, but — with regulation and technology and psychology — we have beaten it to something of a standstill.

From Los Angeles Times

The traffic was so bad it came to a standstill so he checked his cellphone.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dead end
• deadlock
• impasse
• stalemate