stale·mate
ˈstāl-ˌmāt 
1
: a drawing position in chess in which a player is not in checkmate but has no legal move to play
2
: a drawn contest : deadlock
also
: the state of being stalemated
stalemated; stalemating; stalemates
: to bring into a stalemate
Synonyms
Examples of stalemate in a Sentence
Noun
The budget debate ended in a stalemate.
The new agreement could break the stalemate.
The budget debate ended in stalemate.
Recent Examples on the Web
Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Lawmakers have faced a decades-long political stalemate on how to fix it.
—Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stalemate 
Noun
The stalemate ended in January, says Conner, once Ridiculousness host Rob Dyrdek got involved.
—Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Lawmakers have faced a decades-long political stalemate on how to fix it.
—Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stalemate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stalemate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stalemate
Cite this Entry
“Stalemate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stalemate. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stalemate
1 of 2 noun
stale·mate
ˈstā(ə)l-ˌmāt
1
: a position in chess that results in a draw when the only piece to be moved is the king which cannot be moved without being exposed to attack by the other player's piece
2
: a drawn or undecided contest : deadlock
the two sides reached a stalemate in their negotiations
stalemate
2 of 2 verb
stalemated; stalemating
: to bring into a stalemate
the talks were stalemated over the issue of payment
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