standoff
standoff — noun
- standoffsingular
- standoffsplural
1. A standoff is a situation in which two people or groups are firmly opposed to ea
A standoff is a situation in which two people or groups are firmly opposed to each other, and neither is willing to give in, so no progress or agreement is possible.
The border standoff between the two countries lasted for three weeks.
collocation: border standoff
Negotiations reached a standoff after neither side would change its demands.
verb + standoff: reached a standoff
The eighteen-hour police standoff ended when the suspect surrendered peacefully.
A tense standoff developed between striking workers and the company's security team.
Union leaders tried to break the standoff by proposing a new compromise.
- resolution
the opposite state where agreement or progress has been reached
- breakthrough
a sudden advance that ends the deadlock
文法句型
standoff + between [two sides]
standoff + with [someone]
用法筆記
Commonly used with verbs like 'reach', 'end', 'break', or 'resolve'. The noun is almost always singular; the plural 'standoffs' is rare.
常見錯誤
2. A standoff is an act of defending a position by forcing an attacker, opponent, o
A standoff is an act of defending a position by forcing an attacker, opponent, or unwanted force to stay at a distance.
The garrison's standoff against the invading force bought the town valuable time.
standoff + against [attacker]
The castle walls provided a successful standoff against the siege engines.
Villagers organized a standoff to keep the wild elephants away from their crops.
The goalkeeper's determined standoff kept the opposing team from scoring a single goal.
- resistance
broader, can refer to any opposition, not just keeping at a distance
- defense
focuses on protection rather than repulsion
文法句型
standoff + against [attacker]
用法筆記
Rarer than the 'deadlock' sense. Usually describes a physical defensive action rather than a negotiation situation. Subject is typically a military unit, building, or group defending a location.
standoff — verb
- standoffpresent simple I / you / we / they
- standoffs3rd person singular
- standoffing-ing form
- standoffedpast simple
1. To stand off means to keep yourself at a distance from someone or something, eit
To stand off means to keep yourself at a distance from someone or something, either physically or socially, rather than coming close.
The hikers stood off from the cliff edge, afraid it might crumble beneath them.
stand off + from + [location]
Linnea stood off from the campfire because the smoke irritated her eyes.
During the storm, the ship stood off from the rocky coastline until dawn.
In many cultures, strangers tend to stand off until someone makes the first move.
- keep away
more informal and common in everyday speech
- stay clear
suggests avoiding for safety reasons
文法句型
stand off + from [someone/something]
用法筆記
Often followed by 'from' plus a noun phrase. Can describe physical distance (cliffs, fires) or social distance (strangers, new groups).
常見錯誤
2. When a boat or ship stands off, it moves away from the coast and remains at a di
When a boat or ship stands off, it moves away from the coast and remains at a distance out at sea, usually while waiting for something.
The fishing boat stood off from the harbor before sunrise to wait for the tide.
stand off + from [harbor] — nautical use
Captain Watanabe ordered the crew to stand off until the fog lifted.
The small schooner stood off from the island after dropping off the medical supplies.
Linnea watched the ferry stand off from the dock and head into the open sea.
- put out to sea
more general; does not imply waiting
- hold off
can be nautical but also has other meanings
- dock
the opposite action of coming into port
- come ashore
moving toward land
文法句型
stand off + from [shore/harbor]
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in nautical or maritime contexts. The subject is always a vessel, and the verb is intransitive. Distinguish from verb sense 1 ('stay at a distance') by the domain — if the subject is a ship and the context is coastal navigation, this sense is intended.
3. To stand off an attacker, threat, or unwanted force means to stop it from coming
To stand off an attacker, threat, or unwanted force means to stop it from coming closer or advancing toward you.
The defenders used boiling oil to stand off the attackers at the castle gate.
transitive: stand off + [attacker]
Elena stood off the stray dog by shouting loudly and waving her arms above her head.
A strong electric fence helped the farmer stand off the deer from his vegetable fields.
The security team stood off the crowd that tried to push past the barrier.
- repel
more common and widely used in modern English
- ward off
slightly more informal, often used for threats or illness
- keep at bay
idiomatic, suggests preventing something from reaching you
文法句型
stand off + [attacker/threat]
用法筆記
Transitive — takes a direct object (the thing being repelled). Distinguish from verb sense 1 (intransitive, 'stay at a distance') by the presence of a direct object. This sense is less common; 'repel', 'ward off', or 'keep at bay' are more frequent alternatives in modern English.
常見錯誤
4. To stand off a decision or action means to put it off until later, often intenti
To stand off a decision or action means to put it off until later, often intentionally to buy more time.
The committee voted to stand off the final decision until the next meeting.
transitive: stand off + [decision]
Dmitri tried to stand off paying the bill by claiming he had lost his wallet.
The company stood off the product launch while engineers fixed several critical bugs.
Fatima stood off her response to the job offer until she heard from the other firm.
文法句型
stand off + [decision/action]
用法筆記
This sense is quite rare in modern English. 'Postpone', 'delay', or 'put off' are far more common. The object is typically an action or event — a decision, payment, response, or launch.
standoff — adjective
- standoffpositive
- more standoffcomparative
- most standoffsuperlative
1. Someone who is standoff behaves in a way that seems unfriendly or distant, avoid
Someone who is standoff behaves in a way that seems unfriendly or distant, avoiding casual conversation or emotional closeness with others.
The new manager seemed standoff at first, rarely joining in office conversations.
predicative: seem + standoff
Elena's standoff manner made it hard for her classmates to become friends with her.
attributive: standoff + manner
Despite his standoff reputation, Okafor was actually very generous with his time.
The Watanabe family's cat is standoff with visitors, hiding under the bed whenever anyone comes over.
- standoffish
the more common form of the same word
- aloof
slightly more formal, can suggest deliberate superiority
- distant
broader; can describe emotional or physical distance
- reserved
less negative; suggests quietness rather than unfriendliness
文法句型
be + standoff
standoff + [noun: manner, behavior, attitude]
用法筆記
The adjective 'standoff' in this sense is interchangeable with the more common 'standoffish'. Both can be used predicatively ('He is standoff') or attributively ('her standoff attitude').
常見錯誤
2. A standoff component, such as a fastener or bracket, is designed to hold one obj
A standoff component, such as a fastener or bracket, is designed to hold one object at a specific distance away from another surface.
The electrician used standoff brackets to mount the conduit away from the brick wall.
standoff + bracket — technical use
A standoff spacer keeps the glass panel at the correct distance from the metal frame.
The technician installed standoff insulators to prevent the wires from touching the roof surface.
Standoff fasteners are commonly used in electronics to separate circuit boards from the casing.
文法句型
standoff + [noun: fastener, bracket, spacer, insulator]
用法筆記
Almost always used attributively before a noun (standoff bracket, standoff spacer, standoff insulator). The phrase 'standoff distance' is also common in engineering contexts. Learners at a general level are unlikely to need this sense; it is most relevant to technical or trade English.