blinking first
Losing the staredown
Blinking first means yielding in a standoff or confrontation, backing down before your opponent does.
The phrase comes from staring contests, where the first to blink loses.
In negotiations, diplomacy, or any test of resolve, the one who blinks first shows weakness or concedes: Neither side wanted to blink first in the trade dispute.
The union blinked first and accepted the offer.
- staring contestUnblinking visual standoff
- brinkmanshipPushing conflicts to disaster's threshold
- chicken gameContest of nerve
- cold warHostility without open fighting
- high stakesSignificant potential for loss
hesitation · strategy · bluffing · yield · reputation · fear · victory · concession · flinch · losing nerve · self-doubt · microexpressions · poker face · pride · power struggle · capitulation · stare · anxiety
blinking firstholding firm
Maintaining position resolutely
standing one's ground · holding out · digging in · staring down · outlasting
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