standoff

American  

[stand-awf, -of] / ˈstændˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

Or stand-off

noun

1. a standing off or apart; aloofness.

2. a tie or draw, as in a game.

3. something that counterbalances.

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

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

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adjective

1. standing off or apart; aloof; reserved.

   an uncordial and standoff manner.

standoff British  

/ ˈstændˌɒf /

noun

1. the act or an instance of standing off or apart

2. a deadlock or stalemate

3. any situation or disposition of forces that counterbalances or neutralizes

4. rugby short for stand-off half

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verb

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

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

3. (intr) to reach a deadlock or stalemate

4. (tr) to dismiss (workers), esp temporarily

Usage

What does standoff mean? A standoff is a situation in which no progress can be made or people are prevented from taking further action. Close synonyms are stalemate and deadlock. Such a standoff often involves two or more opposing sides that refuse to budge, back down, or change their position. A political standoff is one in which both sides refuse to come to an agreement or compromise on some policy or course of action. In the context of policing, the word standoff refers to a situation in which a person refuses to be arrested but is keeping police away by threatening violence. In movies, the tense moment when two characters are pointing weapons at each other and waiting for the other to make a move is often called a standoff. Standoff can also refer to what happens when a game or other competition ends in a tie or without a winner being declared. Much less commonly, standoff can be used as an adjective to mean aloof, reserved, or unfriendly, as in The hostess greeted us in a distant, standoff manner. The adjective standoffish is more commonly used to mean the same thing. Standoff is sometimes hyphenated, as stand-off. Example: The old enemies stared at each other in a tense standoff, both of them refusing to give an inch.

Etymology

Origin of standoff

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

Explanation

A standoff happens when two people or groups can't move forward or proceed because of a disagreement, or when two teams have a tied score. In chess, a stalemate is a kind of standoff—when there's no way for a player to move without putting herself in check. Another example of a standoff is when two governments are bargaining or negotiating but can't reach an agreement, and so make no progress. You might see protesters and police officers in a standoff, or witness friends argue about politics and reach a standoff, where neither one will change their mind.

Example Sentences

Take two examples: the Joint Air to Surface Standoff Munition and the Standard Missile 6—critical munitions that would be in high demand in a major war.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

There’s nothing hardcore about the Mexican Standoff, but try listening to “One Way Ticket to TJ,” without it getting drilled into your head forever.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2024

Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles - that can strike distant warships and land targets in China or North Korea.

From Reuters • Oct. 18, 2022

Additionally, Mr. Pompeo called for building and deploying a new Long-Range Standoff Cruise Missile that can be launched from vulnerable and aging B-52 bombers until the new B-21s can be deployed.

From Washington Times • Jan. 19, 2022

The Standoff Mark Antony, forced to take action, tried to engage Octavian’s forces in battle, but Octavian refused to fight.

From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby

Related Words

• deadlock
• impasse
• stalemate