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

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

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 • Mar. 31, 2026

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

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

Two weeks in, it appears to be a stalemate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

The Angels and the city of Anaheim remain at a stalemate over what to do about the aging stadium.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

And the stalemate on the Western Front, with entrenched armies dug in and facing each other across no man’s land, made the cavalry almost useless.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• delay
• gridlock
• impasse
• standoff
• standstill