Englishfor English speakers
standstill
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noun
(= impasse)
a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
reached an impasse on the negotiations
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noun
(= stand)
an interruption of normal activity
clause
Noun
—
A clause is a section in a contract or other legal document.
The author's contract contained a clause giving him creative control over the films.
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A clause is a group of words that usually includes a subject and a predicate. In English, the subject usually comes before the predicate.
The last clause in the sentence is hard to understand without knowing some background.