at arm's length

Idioms  

1. At a distance, avoiding intimacy or familiarity, as in Bill hated seeing his colleagues outside the office, preferring to keep all of them at arm's length, or She was friendly only when he was safely at arm's length. Now often used with the verb keep, this term for distancing oneself from a person, organization, or issue originated as at arm's end but developed its current form by the mid-1600s.

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Example Sentences

The two planets will appear to be about the same distance in the sky as the width of your little finger held out at arm's length.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Noah Petro, head of NASA's planetary geology lab, told AFP that the Moon will look to the astronauts "about the size of a basketball held at arm's length."

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

“Western Star” is thus the rare authorized biography that keeps its subject at arm’s length.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

The defense did most of the heavy lifting from there, holding Oregon at arm’s length until the fourth quarter, when the Ducks flew out in front, dealing the Trojans another loss.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2026

Petey led the way, and everyone followed with their crates now held at arm’s length.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles