STALEMATE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does stalemate mean? 

• STALEMATE (noun)
  The noun STALEMATE has 2 senses:

1. a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible

2. drawing position in chess: any of a player's possible moves would place his king in check

  Familiarity information: STALEMATE used as a noun is rare.

• STALEMATE (verb)
  The verb STALEMATE has 1 sense:

1. subject to a stalemate

  Familiarity information: STALEMATE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• STALEMATE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

dead end; deadlock; impasse; stalemate; standstill

Context example:

reached an impasse on the negotiations

Hypernyms ("stalemate" is a kind of...):

situation (a complex or critical or unusual difficulty)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Drawing position in chess: any of a player's possible moves would place his king in check

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("stalemate" is a kind of...):

draw; standoff; tie (the finish of a contest in which the score is tied and the winner is undecided)

Derivation:

stalemate (subject to a stalemate)

• STALEMATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they stalemate    ... he / she / it stalemates   
Past simple: stalemated   
Past participle: stalemated   
-ing form: stalemating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Subject to a stalemate

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Hypernyms (to "stalemate" is one way to...):

go; move (have a turn; make one's move in a game)

Domain category:

chess; chess game (a board game for two players who move their 16 pieces according to specific rules; the object is to checkmate the opponent's king)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

stalemate (drawing position in chess: any of a player's possible moves would place his king in check)