standoff

or stand-off

[stand-awf, -of]

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.

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. 2018

Related Words for standoff

impasse, deadlock, stalemate, wash, level

Examples from the Web for standoff

Contemporary Examples of 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
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
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
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
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

Historical Examples of standoff

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

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