/ ˈæmpɑːs; NAmE ˈɪmpæs/ noun
[ usually sing. ] a difficult situation in which no progress can be made because the people involved cannot agree what to do
SYN deadlock :
to break / end the impasse
Negotiations have reached an impasse .
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 19th cent.: from French , from im- (expressing negation) + the stem of passer to pass.