standoff

or stand-off

[ stand-awf, -of ]

/ ˈstændˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

SEE MORE 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.

Nearby words

standing rigging, standing room, standing wave, standish, standish, miles, standoff, standoff insulator, standoff missile, standoffish, standout, standover man

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for standoff

He was threatening to immolate both of them when police ended a standoff by grabbing him.
Indiana Serial Killer’s Confession Was Just the Start|Michael Daly|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ex-MMA fighter Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller live-tweeted a standoff with police over domestic violence charges.
The MMA Fighters Have Gone Crazy: ‘Mayhem’ Miller the Latest in a Long Line of Psycho Pugilists|Robert Silverman|October 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Faced with this opponent, the United States has a variety of military options for using its aerial and standoff firepower.
Who the U.S. Should Really Hit in ISIS|Daniel Trombly, Yasir Abbas|September 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Merah was gunned down by police after a tense manhunt and violent 32-hour standoff at his apartment.
First Anti-Semitic Attack Since World War II Rocks Brussels|Tracy McNicoll|May 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) spoke out against Bundy after the standoff.
What Cliven Bundy’s Famous Backers Said, Before and After|Olivia Nuzzi|April 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was a standoff, by my cooking and doing other camp duties and marketing our products.
The Adventures of Two Alabama Boys|H. J. Crumpton and Washington Bryan Crumpton
But the court will know that you have as much interest in lying as I have, and itll just be a standoff.
The Radio Boys at Mountain Pass|Allen Chapman

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

standoff

or stand-off

noun

adjective

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of standoff

Examples from the Web for standoff

British Dictionary definitions for standoff

standoff

noun

verb stand off (adverb)