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

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

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

It gave researchers autonomy, kept politics at arm’s length, and helped make American science the envy of the world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Australia kept England at arm's length thereafter, easing their way to victory in the first meeting between the sides since the 2017 World Cup final.

From BBC • Oct. 25, 2025

She held me at arm’s length, looking me over as if she were trying to preserve that moment in her mind.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals