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

From afar, headlines can feel like history looping, another geopolitical stalemate.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

And although officials hope the county can eventually acquire state and federal funding for the project, the lack of certainty on the issue has left hundreds of fire survivors in a stalemate.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

It’s unclear when that will happen, however, in light of an uneasy stalemate between the U.S. and Iran that’s been in place since the end of April.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

Plus, the Justice Department targets media organizations over leaks, and stalemate emerges in the Middle East as the cease-fire enters its second month.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

The next afternoon, on the thirty-fourth ballot, the Wisconsin delegation attempted to end the two-day stalemate.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

Related Words

• delay
• gridlock
• impasse
• standoff
• standstill