🗓️ Idiom: Be at a Stalemate (v/adj)
💬 Meaning
- To be in a situation where no progress can be made.
- To be stuck because two sides cannot agree or move forward.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The negotiation team and the supplier were at a stalemate after neither side wanted to change their terms.
- The two managers were at a stalemate over how to handle the customer complaints process.
- The discussion about workload distribution reached a point where everyone was at a stalemate and needed outside help.
🏛️ Origin
The phrase comes from the game of chess. A stalemate happens when a player cannot make a legal move and the game ends without a winner. Over time, the word began to describe any situation where progress is blocked and no one can move forward.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
Both departments were __________ because neither would accept the new conflict-resolution plan.
Answer
at a stalemate
2. Choose the correct answer:
If two teams are “at a stalemate,” it means:
a) They have solved the conflict
b) They cannot make progress
c) They are working faster than before
Answer
b) They cannot make progress
3. Change the sentence using “at a stalemate”:
“The negotiation stopped because both sides refused to change their position.”
Answer
The negotiation was at a stalemate because both sides refused to change their position.
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