Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to stonewall

to stonewall

33 7.8
Refuse to answer questions to delay or block progress
  • verb
  • /ˈstoʊnˌwɔl/
  • Literature
: obstruir
  • Publicly, the Syrians were saying they were cooperating, they were doing all they could, but privately they were stonewalling.

I didn't I, I stonewalled that shit.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Martha Coakley is definitely stonewalling this.

    Conviction (2010)

  • The politician tried to stonewall the reporters instead of answering their questions.

  • Green tried to stonewall her.

    Casino (1995)

  • Come on, kid, don't stonewall us.

    Last Flag Flying (2017)

  • Look, buddy, don't try and stonewall me.

    Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978)

  • And still we stonewalled them over direct access to our records.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • We're definitely concerned Apple may just silently stonewall on this, so we'll keep discussing it here.

    Blog text (4)

  • Philip Morris is stonewalling on its production of these relevant documents.

    Academic text (1995)

  • The Pentagon stonewalled them.

    The Fifth Estate (2013)

  • We've tried to get cooperation from the DA's office... ... but they've been stonewalling us.

    Legal Eagles (1986)

Synonyms

to dodge
vsto stonewall
71 5.3

To avoid answering a question or facing responsibility by giving unclear answers

deliberately block progress by refusing to answer or cooperate
to duck
vsto stonewall
  • Informal
63 6.8

To avoid doing something you are supposed to do

involves deliberate obstruction and refusal rather than mere avoidance
to hedge
vsto stonewall
4 7.4

To avoid giving a direct answer or clear commitment

is a stronger obstruction, refusing to answer or cooperate outright
to parry
vsto stonewall
1 8.1

To avoid answering a question by giving a vague answer

blocks progress more directly by refusing to cooperate or answer

Antonyms

to cooperate
520 3.3

To work together with other people to reach the same goal

How Obstructive

to stonewall
  • Literature
33 7.8
to block
989 3.0
to obstruct
89 5.1
to stall
218 4.3
to delay
442 1.4

Surface Forms

stonewall infinitive
stonewalled past
stonewalled past participle
stonewalling present participle
stonewalls third person singular

Morphology

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

The verb is a conversion from the compound noun 'stonewall'; the literal image of a stone wall suggests obstruction, but the modern sense is somewhat metaphorical.

Etymology

Stonewall comes from the image of a hard stone wall that stops people or progress, like a solid barrier you cannot get through. So to stonewall someone is to refuse to answer or to block and delay things by not cooperating.