standoff

or stand-off

[ stand-awf, -of ]

/ ˈstændˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

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See synonyms for standoff on Thesaurus.com

noun

a standing off or apart; aloofness.

a tie or draw, as in a game.

something that counterbalances.

a prop for holding the top of a ladder away from the vertical surface against which it is leaning.

Electricity. an insulator that supports a conductor above a surface.

adjective

standing off or apart; aloof; reserved: an uncordial and standoff manner.

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Origin of standoff

First recorded in 1830–40; noun, adj. use of verb phrase stand off

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use standoff in a sentence

To be a liberal, you have to stand up for liberal principles.
Bill Maher: Hundreds of Millions of Muslims Support Attack on ‘Charlie Hebdo’|Lloyd Grove|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Although the blood-spattered offices will be off-limits, staff have vowed to continue producing the magazine.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And with stand-ups, I remember liking George Carlin and Steve Martin.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Those opposing same-sex marriage are on their heels, and increasingly unwilling or unable to make a stand against it.
‘Only God’ Can Stop Gay Marriage|Tim Mak|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She stood, in her young purity, at one end of the chain of years, and Mrs. Chepstow—did she really stand at the other?
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
But the liberal soul deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things shall he stand.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
All bribery, and injustice shall be blotted out, and fidelity shall stand for ever.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
A far-off volley rumbled over the plain, and a few birds stirred uneasily among the trees.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
It is only necessary to have a zinc, or a galvanized tray on which to stand the glass in an inverted position.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin

British Dictionary definitions for standoff

standoff

/ (ˈstændˌɒf) /

noun

US and Canadian the act or an instance of standing off or apart

a deadlock or stalemate

any situation or disposition of forces that counterbalances or neutralizes

rugby short for stand-off half

verb stand off (adverb)

(intr) to navigate a vessel so as to avoid the shore, an obstruction, etc

(tr) to keep or cause to keep at a distance

(intr) to reach a deadlock or stalemate

(tr) to dismiss (workers), esp temporarily

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with standoff

stand off

Stay at a distance, remain apart, as in Carol stood off from the others. [First half of 1600s] This usage gave rise to the adjective standoffish for “aloof” or “reserved in a haughty way.”

Put off, keep away, as in The police stood off the angry strikers. [Second half of 1800s]

standoff

or stand-off

Origin of standoff

Words related to standoff

How to use standoff in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for standoff

Other Idioms and Phrases with standoff