stalemate

American  

[steyl-meyt] / ˈsteɪlˌmeɪt /

noun

• stalemates
  plural

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)

• stalemates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• stalemated,
  past participle,  past
• stalemating
  present participle

1. to subject to a stalemate.

2. to bring to a standstill.

verb (used without object)

• stalemates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• stalemated,
  past participle,  past
• stalemating
  present participle

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

Derived Forms

• unstalemated
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• stalemates
  plural

Participles

• stalemating
  present
• stalemated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• stalemate
  simple
• stalemates
  simple
• have stalemated
  perfect
• has stalemated
  perfect
• am stalemating
  progressive
• are stalemating
  progressive
• is stalemating
  progressive
• have been stalemating
  perfect progressive
• has been stalemating
  perfect progressive

Past

• stalemated
  simple
• had stalemated
  perfect
• was stalemating
  progressive
• were stalemating
  progressive
• had been stalemating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will stalemate
  simple
• will have stalemated
  perfect
• will be stalemating
  progressive
• will have been stalemating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of stalemate

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

Explanation

A stalemate is an impasse in a contest, a point where neither player — usually in chess — can win or lose. Stalemate is from an Old French word, estal, which means “place, position, or stand.” To be in a stalemate with an opponent is to be in a locked position, or a stalled place, where neither player can make a profitable move. Chess is the most common context for a stalemate, but any contest or negotiation can result in a stalemate: "The discussions about buying their competitor’s waffle house reached a stalemate and the deal died."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stalemate stalemates stalemated stalemating

Members of Oldham Council held an extraordinary meeting on Thursday evening to resolve the stalemate of no political party having an overall majority.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

For months following the 2025 L.A. fires, the state was stuck in a stalemate over the regulations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

US consumer inflation slowed slightly in July, government data showed, with a virtual stalemate in the US-Iran war giving consumers some respite from sharp price increases at the gasoline pump.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

He also announced that Israel would allow members of the Trump-led Board of Peace to enter Gaza after months of stalemate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

The Soviet soldiers involved in this war found themselves in an icy stalemate, freezing and starving to death.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

There have been a lot of draws at this tournament but that doesn't mean they've all been dull stalemates, and the match I've most enjoyed so far was the Netherlands' draw with Japan.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

When funding stalemates occur in other countries, government activity generally continues with the existing levels of funding until new monies can be agreed upon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026

America in 2025 remains mired in all sorts of ideological stalemates.

From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2025

The Senate Republican leader has played a key role in resolving past stalemates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2023

The months subsequent were an endless dreary battle of paperwork, full of stalemates, fought in trenches.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

While the shadow of the stalemated war with Iran looms over the market, Wall Street has been booming, thanks largely to tech stocks.

From MarketWatch ● May 10, 2026

Until now, the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over who should lead the region has stalemated peace efforts.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2024

That’s a rare advance in a stalemated Congress.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2024

The fighting has mostly stalemated in the past years.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 9, 2023

The reasoning was this: I simply could not stand what I had become—stale, perhaps, or stalemated by what appeared to be my faltering body.

From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen

Hill totaled a team-high six tackles — including a stalemating hit at the line of scrimmage on a blitz — in his first game in crimson and gray.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 13, 2021

The Rams were without Cooper Kupp, but the Green Bay’s cornerbacks still deserve ample credit for stalemating a great receiving corps.

From Reuters ● Nov. 1, 2018

McLendon proved excellent at stalemating and disengaging from blockers in spot duty last season.

From New York Times ● Aug. 15, 2012

Franklin plays with tremendous leverage and is nearly peerless when it comes to moving laterally while stalemating two offensive linemen.

From New York Times ● Aug. 7, 2011

By a remarkably ingenious device White averts the loss of the game by stalemating himself as follows:— 1.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 "Châtelet" to "Chicago" by Various

Related Words

• delay
• gridlock
• impasse
• standoff
• standstill