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standstill
noun
stand·still
ˈstan(d)-ˌstil
: a state characterized by absence of motion or of progress : stop
brought traffic to a standstill
Synonyms
Examples of standstill in a Sentence
The accident brought traffic to a standstill.
battled each other to a standstill
Recent Examples on the Web
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
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Word History
First Known Use
1702, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing standstill
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
Medical Definition
standstill
noun
stand·still
ˈstand-ˌstil
: a state characterized by absence of motion or of progress : arrest
cardiac standstill
More from Merriam-Webster on standstill
Nglish: Translation of standstill for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of standstill for Arabic Speakers
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