stalemate
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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
verb (used with object)
-
to subject to a stalemate.
-
to bring to a standstill.
verb (used without object)
noun
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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
-
a situation in which two opposing forces find that further action is impossible or futile; deadlock
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
stalematesimple
-
stalematessimple
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have stalematedperfect
-
has stalematedperfect
-
am stalematingprogressive
-
are stalematingprogressive
-
is stalematingprogressive
-
have been stalematingperfect progressive
-
has been stalematingperfect progressive
Past
-
stalematedsimple
-
had stalematedperfect
-
was stalematingprogressive
-
were stalematingprogressive
-
had been stalematingperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing stalemate
Hamilton
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Check It Out, Mate: Chess Vocabulary
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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.
But right now, he sees the situation as a stalemate.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 10, 2026
She believes foreign engagement with the authorities is born of frustration -- after five years of diplomatic stalemate with Myanmar, "the international community are desperate".
From Barron's • Jul. 10, 2026
Mullin said the agency suffered a blow to morale because of the historic 76-day shutdown of ICE and CBP after a congressional stalemate over funding.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
A meeting on Thursday again ended in stalemate with neither the Reform UK group leader Sarah Wood or Green Party head Andrew Cooper securing the majority needed to be in charge.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
The Allies had agreed on a plan to break the stalemate.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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.
