im ‧ passe /æmˈpɑːs $ ˈɪmpæs/ BrE AmE noun [singular]
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Language: French ; Origin: passer 'to pass' ]
a situation in which it is impossible to continue with a discussion or plan because the people involved cannot agree
at an impasse
The political process is at an impasse.
Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.
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THESAURUS
■ no progress
▪ stalemate/deadlock /ˈsteɪlmeɪt/ [uncountable and countable] a situation in which no further progress can be made because two groups or organizations cannot find a way to end a disagreement:
The negotiations ended in deadlock.
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At that point the strike appeared to have reached a stalemate.
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the year-long political deadlock between the two parties
▪ impasse /æmˈpɑːs $ ˈɪmpæs/ [singular] formal a situation in which progress has stopped completely, especially because people cannot agree on what to do next:
The continuing impasse over the budget.
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The situation seemed to have reached an impasse.
▪ grind to a halt to slowly stop making any progress:
The economy seems to be grinding to a halt.
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It was clear that the peace talks had ground to a halt.