stand·off
ˈstand-ˌȯf 
1
2
: used for holding something at a distance from a surface
a standoff insulator
stood off; standing off; stands off
Synonyms
Examples of standoff in a Sentence
Noun
The two governments are currently in a standoff over who has rights to the land.
after two hours they had played to a 5–5 standoff
Adjective
the client's standoff attitude suggested that this was going to be a strictly business relationship
Recent Examples on the Web
Kaylei Fear, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Aug. 2024
The standoff stretched for nearly three hours when a fire suddenly erupted from within the basement or first floor of the building and firefighters sprung into action around 6:46 p.m., officials said.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2024
The factory fans fill the place where those standoffs would have gone, and adding a radiator to these limits motherboard depth to 11.5 inches.
—PCMAG, 3 Aug. 2024
The real-life shootout, standoff and subsequent fire led to the deaths of four federal agents and 76 Branch Davidians.
—Asher Price, Axios, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for standoff 
Noun
When clearing out your glassware collection, keep coordinating sets together and donate the random standoffs.
—Kaylei Fear, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Aug. 2024
The standoff stretched for nearly three hours when a fire suddenly erupted from within the basement or first floor of the building and firefighters sprung into action around 6:46 p.m., officials said.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2024
The factory fans fill the place where those standoffs would have gone, and adding a radiator to these limits motherboard depth to 11.5 inches.
—PCMAG, 3 Aug. 2024
The real-life shootout, standoff and subsequent fire led to the deaths of four federal agents and 76 Branch Davidians.
—Asher Price, Axios, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for standoff
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'standoff.' 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 standoff
Cite this Entry
“Standoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standoff. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024.
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