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standoff
[stand-awf, -of]
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.
standoff
/ ˈæԻˌɒ /
noun
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
(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
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of standoff1
Example Sentences
Carvalho did not rule out the potential for a standoff involving school police if federal officers attempted to enter a school or an off-campus school event — such as a graduation ceremony — without a judicial warrant.
The protesters were in a standoff with dozens of officers lined up under the Los Angeles Street bridge.
An hourslong standoff between protesters and federal agents erupted Saturday morning in Paramount as federal officials warned of further immigration raids to come in Los Angeles.
A few days ago, immigration agents raided a popular San Diego restaurant and made arrests, sparking a standoff with outraged residents.
In Texas, a rabbi credited training for his actions ending a hostage-taking standoff.
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When To Use
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.
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