standstill

noun

stand·​still ˈstan(d)-ˌstil How to pronounce standstill (audio)
: a state characterized by absence of motion or of progress : stop
brought traffic to a standstill

Examples of standstill in a Sentence

The accident brought traffic to a standstill. battled each other to a standstill
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Snow has been steadily falling in south Louisiana, coating New Orleans metro and bringing the region to a standstill. Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 21 Jan. 2025 These are – these are paramilitary organizations with billions at their disposal, with armored vehicles, heavy machine guns that are fighting the Mexican army, not police, army, to a standstill. CBS News, 19 Jan. 2025 Last October, the strikes brought freight transport in the U.S. to a standstill and led to weeks of delays. 3) A weakening Chinese economy and subdued consumer demand for goods, could lead to a possible increase in layoffs and thus a labor shortage. Sin To, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025 Compounding matters, tourism, one of the principal revenue sources in this nation of 785,000, was brought to a standstill by the pandemic and still hasn’t fully recovered, with just a third as many foreign arrivals in 2023 compared with 2019. By Charlie Campbell/gelephu, Bhutan, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for standstill 

Word History

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of standstill was in 1702

Dictionary Entries Near standstill

Cite this Entry

“Standstill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standstill. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

standstill

noun
stand·​still -ˌstil How to pronounce standstill (audio)
: a state marked by absence of motion or activity : stop
traffic was at a standstill

Medical Definition

standstill

noun
stand·​still ˈstand-ˌstil How to pronounce standstill (audio)
: a state characterized by absence of motion or of progress : arrest
cardiac standstill

More from Merriam-Webster on standstill

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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