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 contest, competition, dispute, etc., in which neither side can gain an advantage or win : deadlock
The new agreement might break the stalemate.
stalemated; stalemating; stalemates
: to bring into a stalemate
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
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
4 July 2026
The giveaway turned a legal stalemate into a community event, bringing traffic-clogging crowds, heartfelt thanks and rare applause for a grower accustomed to seeing his labor go largely unnoticed.
—
Gary Kazanjian,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2026
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
With front lines mostly stalemated, the country has been essentially split in two, leaving the government in charge of the capital, Khartoum, and Sudan’s east, while the RSF dominates the west.
—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stalemate
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Noun
As the round-of-32 stalemate against Australia neared a penalty shootout, memories of the misses against Senegal came to mind.
—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
4 July 2026
The giveaway turned a legal stalemate into a community event, bringing traffic-clogging crowds, heartfelt thanks and rare applause for a grower accustomed to seeing his labor go largely unnoticed.
—
Gary Kazanjian,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2026
Verb
The Doha stalemate over the frozen funds is the clearest sign yet that the wider relationship the license depends on is not stabilizing on schedule.
—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
With front lines mostly stalemated, the country has been essentially split in two, leaving the government in charge of the capital, Khartoum, and Sudan’s east, while the RSF dominates the west.
—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stalemate
Cite this Entry
“Stalemate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stalemate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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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