Crossword Genius

One Frenchman, out-of-date, reaches stalemate (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

impasse

'stalemate' is the definition.
(I know that stalemate can be written as impasse)

'one frenchman out-of-date' is the wordplay.
'one' becomes 'i' (Roman numeral).
'frenchman' becomes 'm' (abbreviation for Monsieur).
'out-of-date' becomes 'passe' (synonyms).
'i'+'m'+'passe'='IMPASSE'

'reaches' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for impasse that I've seen before include "hopeless difficulty" , "cul-de-sac" , "Stalling of negotiations" , "Lack of movement" , "Stalemate situation" .)

I've seen this clue in The Daily Express.
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