standstill
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of standstill
First recorded in 1695–1705; noun use of verb phrase stand still
Explanation
When anything comes to a standstill, it stops moving, either literally coming to a motionless stop, or ceasing to make any progress. If you and your brother try to agree on what kind of pizza to order, but your negotiations come to a standstill, it means that neither one of you will budge or compromise, and you've reached a dead end. During rush hour on a busy highway, traffic often comes to a standstill — it simply stops. This "cessation of movement" meaning came first.
Vocabulary lists containing standstill
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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"The Experiment" and "The World Is in Their Hands"
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The First State of Being
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Standstill leaves no obvious path for Casey Means to be confirmed to the role.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
Standstill: Your boundaries aren’t working because you’re setting them for your sister, when they need to be for you.
From Washington Post • Feb. 13, 2022
Among them was Sarra Hoy, wife of Olympian Sir Chris Hoy, who tweeted: "Standstill M74 northbound, near Gretna, after what seems to be a dreadful accident. Not moving anytime soon."
From BBC • Jul. 22, 2021
By joining the old and new evidence together, researchers said the untapped archaeological proof may no longer present an obstacle for the "Beringian Standstill" theory.
From Scientific American • Mar. 13, 2014
Warmth, Saturday, Wander, You, Best friend go up, while Cold, Sunday, Standstill, Everyone else go into the heap.
From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
