1
as in halt
a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in
in their bitter custody battle, the divorcing couple are at a total impasse
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2
as in predicament
a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape
the impossible impasse faced by those who opposed the war but did not want to seem disloyal to the troops
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Examples of impasse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For many progressive housing advocates, the impasse in Milton is just the latest volley in an age-old battle.
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Andrea Riquier, USA TODAY, 1 Oct. 2024
But since then, both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of making new and unacceptable demands, and the talks appear to be at an impasse.
—Josef Federman and Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2024
The trade association called for a resumption of negotiations in January during their first impasse, and was part of a 158-member coalition letter in June that urged the Biden administration to work with both parties to hammer out a deal.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 5 Sep. 2024
In January 2019 Nielsen and CBS had failed to come to a renewal agreement which led to an impasse that lasted 11 days.
—Brad Adgate, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for impasse 
Andrea Riquier, USA TODAY, 1 Oct. 2024
But since then, both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of making new and unacceptable demands, and the talks appear to be at an impasse.
—Josef Federman and Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2024
The trade association called for a resumption of negotiations in January during their first impasse, and was part of a 158-member coalition letter in June that urged the Biden administration to work with both parties to hammer out a deal.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 5 Sep. 2024
In January 2019 Nielsen and CBS had failed to come to a renewal agreement which led to an impasse that lasted 11 days.
—Brad Adgate, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for impasse
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impasse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Impasse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impasse. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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