mexican standoff
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
A stalemate, or a confrontation among two or more sides that no side can win.
Tình huống bế tắc, đối đầu mà không bên nào thắng
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Register: slang
Examples
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
A stalemate, or a confrontation among two or more sides that no side can win. — An inconclusive standoff, ending in mutual retreat.
Tình huống bế tắc, đối đầu mà không bên nào thắng, kết thúc bằng rút lui
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 3
A stalemate, or a confrontation among two or more sides that no side can win. — A confrontation among two or more armed parties, none of which wants to attack first (fearing that the other could retaliate), but neither of which will disarm (for fear the other will attack).
Đối đầu giữa các bên vũ trang, không bên nào muốn tấn công trước
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “mexican standoff” mean?
A stalemate, or a confrontation among two or more sides that no side can win.
Is “mexican standoff” formal or informal?
mexican standoff is generally slang.