standstill
Americannoun
-
standstills
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of standstill
First recorded in 1695–1705; noun use of verb phrase stand still
Explanation
When anything comes to a standstill, it stops moving, either literally coming to a motionless stop, or ceasing to make any progress. If you and your brother try to agree on what kind of pizza to order, but your negotiations come to a standstill, it means that neither one of you will budge or compromise, and you've reached a dead end. During rush hour on a busy highway, traffic often comes to a standstill — it simply stops. This "cessation of movement" meaning came first.
Vocabulary lists containing standstill
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Experiment" and "The World Is in Their Hands"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The First State of Being
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The prospect of Congress coming to a standstill weighed on the dollar and Treasury yields, with observers pointing out that such a scenario would restrict spending.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
Much of that additional spending is "standstill" funding to cover the rising costs of current services.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Talks between the two companies are still at a standstill, the person said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Home sales are already in a slump, and rising mortgage rates will likely bring things to a standstill.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
The idea made me think that perhaps I shouldn’t have pointed that out to her—getting a cop’s attention would definitely bring their harebrained trip into Mexico to a standstill.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
They are noteworthy for their enormous scale, geometric precision and astronomical breadth and accuracy, such as encoding all eight lunar standstills over an 18.6-year cycle.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 19, 2023
Measures could include debt standstills and sharing World Bank-I.M.F. debt sustainability analysis with all creditor nations simultaneously.
From New York Times ● Apr. 10, 2023
She also wants debt service standstills during restructuring negotiations and an expansion of the framework's remit as many countries holding the bulk of at-risk debt are not poor enough to currently qualify for relief.
From Reuters ● Feb. 17, 2022
The newly-released transcript also features an interview with Rosen in which Weinsheimer again brings the proceedings to several standstills.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2021
Her brain stammered; seemed to fly loose; came to sudden standstills.
From Tatterdemalion by John Galsworthy
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
