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.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

at arm's length

Wallabies captain Harry Wilson scored a try to keep New Zealand at arm's length, but the All Blacks moved through the gears in the second half.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Leo and the Gosses have been living amicably at arm’s length for 14 years, though their lives are about to become closely entwined, with disastrous results.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

The acquisition is therefore seen as having been conducted at arm’s length, with no evidence of direct dealings with the former promoters, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

You can keep her at arm’s length and not make these kinds of offers again.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

Kelly held her camera at arm’s length and took a picture of the two girls’ grinning faces.

From "George" by Alex Gino

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---