stand off
• move or keep away.
• "the women stood off at a slight distance"
• discharge a worker temporarily or permanently because of a shortage of work.
• "the firm stood off the workers and closed the factory"
• sail further away from the shore.
• "the ship was standing off on the landward side"
stand-off
noun
• a deadlock between two equally matched opponents in a dispute or conflict.
• "the 16-day-old stand-off was no closer to being resolved"
• short for stand-off half.
