reach an impasse
To come to a point past which no further progress is able to be made. After three days of negotiations, we reached an impasse when it came to the matter of increased pay for staff. A: "My client is absolutely unwilling to compromise on this issue." B: "Then it looks as though we've reached an impasse."
reach an impasse
to progress to the point that a barrier stops further progress. When negotiations with management reached an impasse, the union went on strike. The discussion reached an impasse and no one was able to propose a compromise.