stalemate

/ˈsteɪlˌmeɪt/
noun
  1. A situation in which neither side in a conflict or competition can make progress or win; a deadlock.
    • The negotiations reached a stalemate, with neither side willing to compromise.
    • The chess game ended in a stalemate when neither player could move.
    • The political debate was a stalemate, as both parties refused to change their positions.
  2. In chess, a position in which a player has no legal move and their king is not in check, resulting in a draw.
    • The game ended in a stalemate because the king had no safe squares.
    • She studied stalemate patterns to avoid losing winning positions.
    • He thought he was winning, but his opponent forced a stalemate.
Antonyms
verb
  1. To bring to a standstill or deadlock; to prevent either side from making progress.
    • The committee's decision was stalemated by a tie vote.
    • The two armies stalemated each other for months.
    • The opposing arguments stalemated the discussion.
What does "stalemate" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean