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 aspects such as strong characters, emotional investment, aspirational and authentic journeys, contemporary tensions, real moral dilemmas and complex relationships are what keep you there.

— Marta Balaga, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
More broadly, the premiere sets up a deepening of Common Side Effects’ many dilemmas.

— Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 10 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

The relentless rain associated with Hurricane Isaias didn’t stop some hikers from venturing onto trails and greenways in North Carolina, leading to life-threatening predicaments, officials say.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of predicaments

Noun

Previous budget deadlocks have toppled French governments in recent years.

— Chloe Taylor,Jenni Reid, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of deadlocks

Noun

But making inroads with a customer who responds positively to condom-wearing pickles is easier said than done, and there certainly isn't a one-size-fits-all strategy.

— Megan Sauer, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Garlic confit, turkey deli meat, pickles, jalapeño marinade, pesto and an unknown sauce were held past seven days in the walk-in cooler.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of pickles

Noun

Chacarra was 4 under for his round after 11 holes, having started out in the halfway lead after completing a second-round 67 early Saturday.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Using wooden planks and sandbags, Long Beach City work crews earlier this month had patched up holes in the boardwalk’s wall created by the hurricanes, but the reinforcements did not hold.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of impasses

noun

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