stonewall

1 of 2

verb

stone·​wall ˈstōn-ˌwȯl 

stonewalled; stonewalling; stonewalls

intransitive verb

1

chiefly British : to engage in obstructive parliamentary debate or delaying tactics

2

: to be uncooperative, obstructive, or evasive

transitive verb

: to refuse to comply or cooperate with

stonewaller noun

stone wall

2 of 2

noun

1

: a fence made of stones

especially : one built of rough stones without mortar to enclose a field

2

: an immovable block or obstruction (as in public affairs)

Examples of stonewall in a Sentence

Verb

They stonewalled until they could come up with a response.

They were just stonewalling for time.

They're trying to stonewall the media.

We're trying to get the information, but we're being stonewalled.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Paxton’s office has sought access to the database to cross-check Texas voter rolls for noncitizens, but the state attorney general said the federal agency has stonewalled these requests. —Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 23 Oct. 2024

The Tech Guild has claimed that management has stonewalled certain negotiations over the past two years. —Sara Fischer, Axios, 22 Oct. 2024

Noun

Still, Stone House certainly lives up to its name, with stone floors and stone walls. —Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024

The Frizzells treat years the way sheep treat stone walls, inconvenient lumps to be leapt over to reach the greener grass. —Nell Frizzell, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1880, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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