Meaning & use
standoff
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A situation in which conflicting parties remain deadlocked, with neither side able to gain an advantage.
See it in a sentence
Police were involved in a tense standoff with the barricaded suspect for several hours.
Negotiations ended in a standoff, with both companies refusing to lower their price.
A note on using this word
Standoff can describe anything from an armed confrontation to a stalled business negotiation, wherever no side is willing to move first.
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