blink first
Lose the standoff
To blink first is to lose one's nerve in a standoff, backing down before the other party does.
The image comes from staring contests, where the first to blink loses.
In negotiations, confrontations, or games of chicken, whoever blinks first concedes: Neither side wants to blink first in the budget standoff.
The union blinked first and accepted the contract.
- standoffUnresolved confrontation between opponents
- staring contestUnblinking visual standoff
- falterLose momentum or steadiness
- flinchInvoluntary retreat from threat
- yieldProduce or relinquish
lose your nerve · brinkmanship · negotiation · waver · cave in · back down · twitch · surrender · startle · give ground · ultimatum · hesitate · power struggle · chicken out · intimidation · tremble · escalation · freeze
- staring gamesstaring contest, stare down
- surrendersurrender, surrenders, surrendering, I surrender, capitulate
blink firsthold firm
Maintain one's position
stand one's ground · hold the line · stand firm · stay the course · dig in
blink firststare down
Defeat by sustained gaze
outlast · prevail · come out on top · wait out · hold all the cards
blink, first, blinks, blinked, blinking, blinker, blinkers, firstly