stonewall

[ stohn-wawl ]

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in stonewalling.
2. British. filibuster ( def 3 ).
3. Cricket. (of a batsman) to play a defensive game, as by persistently blocking the ball instead of batting it for distance and runs.

verb (used with object)

1. Informal. to block, stall, or resist intentionally:

   lobbying efforts to stonewall passage of the legislation.

2. British. to obstruct (the passage of a legislative bill) in Parliament, especially by excessive or prolonged debate.

adjective

1. pertaining to or characteristic of stonewalling:

   a new round of stonewall tactics.

stonewall

/ ˌstəʊnˈwɔːl /

verb

1. intr cricket (of a batsman) to play defensively
2. to obstruct or hinder (parliamentary business)

Derived Forms

• ˌstoneˈwaller, noun

Other Words From

• stonewaller noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of stonewall¹

v. and adj. use of noun phrase stone wall

Example Sentences

They dissemble and they stonewall the press, and they do every time.

From Salon

He asked again for similar accommodations this year but said the county stonewalled the request, leading him to sue the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

Still, the wives’ and relatives’ calls to bring mobilized reservists home have been stonewalled by Russia’s government-controlled media, and some pro-Kremlin politicians have sought to cast them as Western stooges.

From Seattle Times

They said it would mean other parents would not face the "agonising experience of being stonewalled by tech companies".

From BBC

He enjoyed the process of arranging songs, for example, and was good at it, but was stonewalled when he tried to participate.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• rebuff