Thesaurus results for IMPASSES

impasses

noun

plural of impasse

as in halts

a point in a struggle where neither side is capable of winning or willing to give in in their bitter custody battle, the divorcing couple are at a total impasse

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as in dilemmas

a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape the impossible impasse faced by those who opposed the war but did not want to seem disloyal to the troops

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of impasses The unsanctioned parades of cars decked out in Mexican flags have previously led to major traffic jams and impasses for emergency vehicles. — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026 California law bars law enforcement officers and firefighters from striking against public employers, instead providing dispute-resolution procedures for labor impasses. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026 The second chapter intertwines misfortune and impasses. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 10 June 2026 The Senate unanimously approved a resolution to withhold lawmakers’ pay during government shutdowns, aiming to encourage faster resolution of federal budget impasses after record-breaking closures. — Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026 How long should these impasses between words, ideas, formal breakthroughs last, anyway, in any one spell of writing? — Dan Chiasson, The New York Review of Books, 22 Apr. 2026 While controllers may not be caught in the latest political game of chicken, proactively protecting these federal employees from paycheck lapses would prevent additional airport chaos during future funding impasses. — Jackson Shedelbower, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026 Some of the money is frozen due to budgetary or legal impasses. — Caio Delcolli, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2025 Such impasses typically end when one party decides the political costs of keeping the government closed outweigh the concessions of opening it. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impasses

Noun

That was March 2020, when the CEOs of General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler tried to coordinate production halts over Covid-19 fears, only to be warned by their lawyers that doing so could violate antitrust rules.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2026
The automatic stay halts proceedings but doesn't compel creditors to undo pre-petition filings without operative effect.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

Definition of halts

Noun

But strains at the top of the organization over its brand and direction reflect many premium news outlets’ dilemmas about survival and profit in a post-traffic, AI-ascendant media age.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
That’s just a small part of the ethical dilemmas taking place in the high school sports world.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of dilemmas

Noun

Tired of budget stalemates, deficits and continuous acrimony in the state Capitol, California voters in 2010 started taking action to temper political gridlock and loosen the grip of entrenched special interests.

— Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
The legislation's passage represented a rare moment of bipartisan achievement in a Congress that has been marked by obstruction and a series of stalemates.

— Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 24 June 2026

Definition of stalemates

Noun

On the screen, in a series of daredevil adventures, the actor had extricated himself from a hundred impossible predicaments.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Aemond, too, for that matter, while Daemon’s arrogance continues to get Team Black into all sorts of predicaments.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of predicaments

Noun

Disputes within legislatures sometimes led to deadlocks, and many states opted to select senators in partisan primaries or a general election.

— Christopher A. Cooper, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
The reforms center on breaking veto-heavy decision deadlocks, bringing poorer economies into global supply chains, cracking down on unfair state subsidies and rewriting outdated 20th-century trade rules.

— Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of deadlocks

Noun

Her sister Judith can grow huge pumpkins, her twin brother Sammy can heal ailing plants, and her Auntie Dee makes pickles that can predict the future.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Dill is a favorite of cooks who love adding its bright flavor to everything from potato salad to pickles.

— Heather Bien, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of pickles

Noun

There could be intense competition for backup minutes with logjams at multiple positions.

— Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 2026
The Russian strikes forcing the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv's six road bridges caused traffic logjams and appeared to be a new tactic in its campaign to torment the city's residents.

— HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of logjams

Noun

Adrian Meronk of Poland, one of 22 players from LIV Golf in the field, birdied his opening four holes at Kingsbarns and had an eagle late in his round of 63.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
With several injuries piling up, the Panthers will need to patch some holes, regroup and find a way to get back in the win column.

— Neil Nakahodo, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of holes

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impasse

impasses

impassible

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“Impasses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impasses. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of impasses

noun

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