stalemate
Americannoun
-
stalemates
plural
-
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)
-
stalemates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
stalemated,
past participle, past
-
stalemating
present participle
-
to subject to a stalemate.
-
to bring to a standstill.
verb (used without object)
-
stalemates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
stalemated,
past participle, past
-
stalemating
present participle
noun
-
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
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stalematesimple
-
stalematessimple
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have stalematedperfect
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has stalematedperfect
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am stalematingprogressive
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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
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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.
See Examples For:
The stalemate would hobble the state, which might compel Netanyahu and his opponents to make some kind of deal, either with each other or with the Arab parties.
From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2026
South Africa is seeking "direct dialogue" with Washington to break a stalemate in tense diplomatic ties, the ambassador told AFP Monday, as Pretoria sought to avoid exclusion from a key US-Africa trade deal.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
While peaceful, the stalemate has reopened what was once the most bitter parading dispute in Northern Ireland.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
In 2022, after years of stalemate, the government and rebels signed on to a ceasefire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
The next afternoon, on the thirty-fourth ballot, the Wisconsin delegation attempted to end the two-day stalemate.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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
The fear was that increasing the field by 50% would dilute the competition beyond recognition, leading to a parade of uncomfortable blowouts or overly conservative stalemates between teams desperate to avoid national humiliation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
America in 2025 remains mired in all sorts of ideological stalemates.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2025
Visually, and in their oratorical skills, both men invoked the passion and unifying power of civil rights-era leaders while speaking to the continued inequity and political stalemates of the 21st century.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 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
Also, 17 of the 19 Tests were drawn, including three consecutive stalemated series.
From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2025
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
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