Definition of "stalemate" []

• A situation in which further action is blocked; a deadlock. (noun)
• A drawing position in chess in which the king, although not in check, can move only into check and no other piece can move. (noun)
• To bring into a stalemate. (verb-transitive)

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.

• "Mr. Obama's stark warnings, particularly his use of the word "stalemate" to describe his efforts, weighed the dollar, said Robert Rennie, chief currency strategist at Westpac Institutional Bank."
• "Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, citing one military official, said the document used the word "stalemate" to describe the conflict and did not adhere to U.S. military claims that the Taliban's momentum had been reversed."
• "Most Americans think a stalemate is the likeliest outcome, something that may make an exit strategy harder to implement if that prediction comes true, adds Holland."