Definition of "standoff" []

• A tie or draw, as in a contest. (noun)
• A situation in which one force neutralizes or counterbalances the other. (noun)
• A standoff insulator. (noun)
• Standoffish. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Emery called to say that she and William had delayed the christening once more, over a name standoff this time."
• "Now, that goes along with sporadic continued violence in the town of Fallujah, and that town has been a trouble spot ever since April when U.S. forces opened fire in what they call the standoff with demonstrators, killing more than 15 and injuring dozens more."
• "The political opposition has also criticized the government for putting Jamaica into what it calls a standoff over Coke, who is known for his loyalty to the Jamaica Labor Party."