deadlocked
Neither side advancing
Deadlocked describes a situation where opposing sides are stuck, unable to move forward or reach agreement.
A jury is deadlocked when members cannot achieve the required consensus for a verdict.
Negotiations become deadlocked when neither party will compromise: Peace talks remained deadlocked over territorial disputes.
The image is of a lock that won't open—progress completely blocked.
Situation without resolution
- stalemateMutual obstruction preventing progress
- talksSpeaks with others
- mediationIntervention to resolve conflict
- arbitrationNon-court binding dispute resolution
bargaining · dispute · conflict · conciliation · dialogue · gridlock · logjam · quagmire
Equal score, or neckwear
- drawCreate with pencil
- stalemateMutual obstruction preventing progress
- equilibriumState of balance
- parityState of being equal
standoff · overtime · tiebreaker · playoff · scoreless · even · matched · checkmate
Delaying tactic through speech
- voteFormal choice expression
- CongressU.S. lawmaking body
- committeeAppointed group for duties
- bipartisanInvolving both major parties
majority · veto · bill · session · chamber · caucus · amendment · coalition
Fastened from above
- mistrialInvalid court proceeding
- verdictOfficial court decision
- deliberationCareful weighing of choices
- unanimousComplete agreement among all
foreman · panel · retrial · acquittal · conviction · holdout · sequestered · impaneled
impasse
Situation without resolution
- stalemateMutual obstruction preventing progress
- talksSpeaks with others
- mediationIntervention to resolve conflict
arbitration · bargaining · dispute · conflict · conciliation · dialogue · gridlock · logjam · quagmire · breakdown
tie
Equal score, or neckwear
- drawCreate with pencil
- stalemateMutual obstruction preventing progress
- equilibriumState of balance
parity · standoff · overtime · tiebreaker · playoff · scoreless · even · matched · checkmate · tug-of-war
filibuster
Delaying tactic through speech
bipartisan · majority · veto · bill · session · chamber · caucus · amendment · coalition · quorum
hung
Fastened from above
- mistrialInvalid court proceeding
- verdictOfficial court decision
- deliberationCareful weighing of choices
unanimous · foreman · panel · retrial · acquittal · conviction · holdout · sequestered · impaneled · polling
- statusespending, active, approved, inactive, completed
- jury statusseated, empaneled, selected, dismissed, excused
- indecisionindecision, indecisiveness, conflicted, hesitation, indecisive
- standingsrankings, leaderboard, league table, ladder, seeding
- stillnessstillness, motionless, motionlessness, immobility, unmoving
- uncertaintyuncertainty, uncertain, unknown, unsure, unclear
deadlockedresolved
Firmly decided upon
settled · concluded · decided · progressing · agreed
deadlockedagreed
Shared the same view
unanimous · in accord · harmonious · united · of one mind
deadlockedunobstructed
Having no barriers
unblocked · free-flowing · unimpeded · clear · open
- break the deadlockEnd a prolonged standoff
- breaking the deadlockEnding a standoff
- broke the deadlockEnded a standoff
- deadlocked juryPanel unable to agree
- broken the deadlockEnded a standoff