stalemate
n.a situation where neither side in an argument or competition can win or make progress. It is like a tie where everyone is stuck and nothing more can happen.
n.a situation in which further action or progress by opposing parties seems impossible. In chess, it refers specifically to a position where the player whose turn it is to move is not in check but has no legal move.
“The peace talks ended in a stalemate.”
“After weeks of intense negotiations, the union and the management reached a stalemate over the proposed salary increases.”
“The geopolitical conflict has devolved into a bitter stalemate, with both nations unwilling to concede territory yet lacking the military resources to achieve a decisive victory.”
Often used with the verbs 'reach', 'end in', or 'break'.
“Walt tells host Steve Clemons that the war is now in a “hurting stalemate” where “neither side really wants to escalate; they’re just waiting for the other side to crack”.”
“Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, also visited Tehran earlier in the week in a bid to “end the stalemate” in the conflict, with Islamabad reporting “significant progress” in those talks.”
From stale + mate.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.