stalemate
Americannoun
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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.
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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)
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to subject to a stalemate.
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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
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has stalematedperfect
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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.
See Examples For:
Kaneva and her team with threats now for to two major waterways in the Gulf, markets are clearly viewing a prolonged stalemate as unlikely.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 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
There are numerous ways the current stalemate could collapse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
When England needed a goal in the stalemate against Ghana, Toney and Watkins were ignored as Tuchel sent on Saka, Rashford, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
It could end in a stalemate and eventually be forgotten, absorbed by other school activities.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
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
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
And along stretches of the battlefront, fighting is somewhat stalemated.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 14, 2023
As always, the conversation stalemated with “None of it really makes any sense.”
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
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
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.
