stalemate

Meanings

Plural: stalemates

Noun

• a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
• drawing position in chess: any of a player's possible moves would place his king in check
• The state in which the player to move is not in check but has no legal moves, resulting in a draw.
• Any situation that has no obvious possible movement, but involves no personal loss.
• Any kind of match in which neither contestant laid claim to victory; a draw.

Verb

• subject to a stalemate
• To bring about a state in which the player to move is not in check but has no legal moves.
• To bring about a stalemate, in which no advance in an argument is achieved.

Synonyms

dead end, deadlock, impasse, standstill

Related Words

check, checkmate