STANDOFF

repulsion, standoff

(noun) the act of repulsing or repelling an attack; a successful defensive stand

draw, standoff, tie

(noun) the finish of a contest in which the score is tied and the winner is undecided; “the game ended in a draw”; “their record was 3 wins, 6 losses and a tie”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

standoff (plural standoffs)

A device which maintains a fixed distance between two objects, especially between a surface and a sign or electrical wiring.

A deadlocked confrontation between antagonists (see stand off and verb below).

Verb

standoff (third-person singular simple present stands off, present participle standing off, simple past and past participle stood off)

Nonstandard spelling of stand off.

Usage notes

• For many English verb-particle idioms, including stand off, the plain form is sometimes written solid (in this case, as standoff). However, this is not usually considered correct, and generally does not occur in the other verb forms (such as standing off).