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Synonyms

stonewalling

American  
[stohn-waw-ling] / ˈstoʊnˌwɔ lɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of stalling, evading, or filibustering, especially to avoid revealing politically embarrassing information.

Etymology

Origin of stonewalling

First recorded in 1875–80; stonewall + -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Social media fervor against the brand has died down as well, though the union battle continues to dog the company, with organisers accusing Niccol of stonewalling contract talks.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

But Johnson is really being tied up in knots for his stonewalling over the Jeffrey Epstein files.

From Salon • Oct. 12, 2025

The incident was unexpected — shocking, even — because for at least two decades, Belichick was the master of stonewalling reporters, steering interviews and giving snarky responses to questions he didn’t appreciate.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2025

The highest-profile example of the stonewalling came last week when a Palestinian American doctor walked out of a meeting with Biden.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 11, 2024

“In a word, yes. I’m guessing now, but I think she believes that Branwell is stonewalling, that his silence is just a stubborn refusal to talk about what happened.”

From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.