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stonewaller

stonewaller

9.6
A person who refuses to answer questions and delays progress
  • noun
  • /ˈstoʊnˌwɔːlər/
  • Literature
translation icon : obstruccionista
  • As a stonewaller, she would often change the subject instead of providing the information others needed.

And while the narcissistic folks are master stonewallers, Gray rocking isn't stonewalling.

Examples

  • The issue is that that's meant for the stonewaller, not for the Stonewall E Now perhaps the narcissist will do this.

  • And while the narcissistic folks are master stonewallers, Gray rocking isn't stonewalling.

  • During the meeting, he behaved like a true stonewaller, refusing to answer any questions and only giving vague responses.

  • The politician was criticized for being a stonewaller when he deflected tough questions with lengthy speeches.

Synonyms

obstructionist
vsstonewaller
22 8.2

A person who delays or stops a group's progress on purpose

uses personal refusal or long speeches to block progress
staller
vsstonewaller
1 7.9

A person who delays making decisions on purpose

prefers refusing to answer or lengthy speeches rather than acting
delayer
vsstonewaller
1 7.4

A person who often waits until the last minute to do things

focuses on refusal to answer and active obstruction by delay
thwarter
vsstonewaller
9.9

A person who often stops other people's plans or progress

blocks by refusing to cooperate or answer often by delay
hedger
vsstonewaller
8.1

A person who avoids giving a clear yes-or-no answer

refuses to cooperate or answer and may use long delays

Antonyms

295 2.4

A person who joins an activity or event

47 4.8

A person who works with others on a project, especially in art or research

How Obstructive

stonewaller
  • Literature
9.6
cooperator
4 3.5

Surface Forms

stonewaller singular
stonewallers plural

Morphology

stonewaller = stonewall (semi-transparent) = stone + wall + er

The agentive '-er' on 'stonewall' is a regular derivation, but 'stonewall' itself is a metaphorical compound whose meaning ('refuse to cooperate') is not predictable from 'stone' + 'wall' for many learners.

Etymology

Stonewaller comes from stonewall, which is made of the words stone and wall and means a hard barrier, and from the nickname of General Stonewall Jackson who 'stood like a stone wall' in battle. So a stonewaller is someone who 'blocks' questions or refuses to help, stopping progress.