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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
/ ˈstændˌɒf /
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
- See stand-off halfrugby 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
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Word History and Origins
Origin of standoff1
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Example Sentences
He was threatening to immolate both of them when police ended a standoff by grabbing him.
The two countries were eyeball to eyeball in a tense standoff for almost a year.
Ex-MMA fighter Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller live-tweeted a standoff with police over domestic violence charges.
Faced with this opponent, the United States has a variety of military options for using its aerial and standoff firepower.
We saw this during the recent standoff between Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and federal officers.
There should not be too fine a point, however, in belaboring differences with the other examples in this regard over standoff.
It was a standoff, by my cooking and doing other camp duties and marketing our products.
My bosses they all like me, they say I am hard to beat; I give them the bold standoff, you bet I have got the cheek.
But the court will know that you have as much interest in lying as I have, and itll just be a standoff.
She was as plucky as any thing, and was putting up a great standoff when we got in our licks.
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