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View synonyms for standoff

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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of standoff1

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

The tense standoff has also raised urgent questions about the robustness and effectiveness of South Korea's political and legal institutions.

From BBC

The suspect was arrested a day later after an hours-long standoff with police who raided an apartment in the nearby Westlake District.

Six hours after South Korean police descended on the home of suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol - and after a sustained standoff with his security team - they called off an attempt to arrest him.

From BBC

The policy has triggered a standoff between county supervisors and the San Diego County Sheriff, who said she would continue to cooperate with federal immigration officials as state law allowed.

But the county is now locked in a standoff in what could be a preview of local immigration politics after Trump retakes office in January.

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Related Words

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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?

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

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

How is standoff used in real life?

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

 

 

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.

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stand mixerstand-off half

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