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

During this eclipse of Earth, the crew members will reach their closest point to the moon at about 4,070 miles, with the moon appearing about the size of a basketball held at arm’s length.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 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

Oil wealth and careful diplomacy kept turmoil at arm’s length.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

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

The tall man accepted the book, holding it at arm’s length to study the cover before Clyde grabbed it and flipped it open.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman